


Another Start

by FairyMal



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Drama & Romance, Dream Sharing, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Soulmates, True Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 51
Words: 140,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28532505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyMal/pseuds/FairyMal
Summary: I'm Mal, daughter of Maleficent, I lived on the Isle of The Lost for most of my life. I lived with my mother, Cruella, and her son Carlos in a castle. Carlos and I have the same father, Hades but we never see himWe were born the same day (kind of weird if you think about it). We were 12 years old when we left, we lived for several months in the streets, we had to steal food and stuff, we found a place to sleep, some abandoned apartmentUntil one day Evie and Jay, Evil Queen and Jafar's children found us, they brought us into their house and they took care of us, Grimhilde and Jafar are really nice parentsLike many villains that were condemned to live there, they became good people, good parents, good friendsThe Isle of The Lost is divided into 4 parts nowadays:• The Evil Part, where villains live (like Maleficent, we lived there with Carlos)• The SeaSide, where Ursula lives and works (she isn't good or evil)• The Reformed Part, where good villains stay• The Forest, where Hades has a cave...
Relationships: Adam/Belle (Disney), Audrey Rose (Disney) & Original Female Character(s), Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Chad Charming/Original Female Character(s), Doug/Evie (Disney: Descendants), Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil, Evil Queen/Jafar (Disney), Hades/Cruella de Vil/Maleficent, Jane/Carlos de Vil, Jay/Li Lonnie
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1. A Very Serious Life

**Author's Note:**

> King Ben invites 4 people of the Isle of the Lost: Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay but their story is a little different from the original. My first fanfiction. The couples will be Bal, Devie, Jarlos, and Jay and Lonnie

I'm Mal, daughter of Maleficent, I lived on the Isle of The Lost for most of my life. I lived with my mother, Cruella, and her son Carlos in a castle. Carlos and I have the same father, Hades but we never see him  
We were born the same day (kind of weird if you think about it) it was the warmer period on the Isle, Maleficent and Cruella used to complain every year about how our birth was some kind of curse.. blah blah we didn't pay attention to them, clearly. We were 12 years old when we left, we lived for several months in the streets, we had to steal food and stuff, we found a place to sleep, some abandoned apartment  
Until one day Evie and Jay, Evil Queen and Jafar's children found us, they brought us into their house and they took care of us, Grimhilde and Jafar are really nice parents  
Like many villains that were condemned to live there, they became good people, good parents, good friends  
The Isle of The Lost is divided into 4 parts nowadays:  
• The Evil Part, where villains live (like Maleficent, we lived there with Carlos)  
• The SeaSide, where Ursula lives and works (she isn't good or evil)  
• The Reformed Part, where good villains stay  
• The Forest, where Hades has a cave

The four of us have powers, we can't control them because of the dome anti-magic that surrounds the Isle but we have them nonetheless.. one day maybe we will use them

Evie dreams to go to Auradon... I don't know why or what she expects her life to be there.. they are so hypocrites, all good and happy but they condemned innocents to live here with actual villains  
They never check on us, they barely send us food  
And we are villains?  
I would hate to live there  
In Jafar and Grimhilde's house  
Mal: "Morning guys, what's up?"  
Jay: "Where the hell have you been? We've been looking for you for ages!"  
Mal: "Calm down Jay... geez... I was in the forest for a while, I needed some alone-time. Why are you all so frenzy? What happened?"  
Carlos: "The future King Ben made a proclamation, he decided to give a second chance to 4 kids of the Isle and he chose..."  
Evie: "WE ARE GOING TO AURADON!"  
Carlos: "Yep.. that is exactly what I wanted to say, thank you very much, Evie, I'm deaf now"  
Evie: "Sorry Carlos"  
Mal: "WE are going to Auradon? WHY?"  
Jay: "For the second chance Carlos was talking about before Evie decided to yell like a freaking banshee.. what the heck E?"  
Evie: "Sorry I am just really excited. We'll have a chance finally to live a happy life"  
Mal: "I am very happy right here, thank you very much"  
Carlos: "Mal, I think it's our best chance to live free at last, don't you want to see the sun, or eat good food.. it isn't just for us, think about it, if we go there and show them we can be good they will save other children"  
Mal: "I don't want to go there. They are a bunch of hypocrites, a second chance? They never gave us a chance, to begin with"  
Jay: "I know and you are right, but this the only chance we have to prove to them that they are wrong, if we stay nothing will ever change. We need to go to Auradon. Now go pack your stuff"  
Evie: "Don't worry M, I already packed your stuff, I was so.."  
Mal: "Let me guess, excited?"  
Evie: "Yes!"  
Jafar and Grimhilde came into the room, both of them looked a little sad but overall hopeful  
Jafar: "Well, did you give Mal the good news?"  
Jay: "Yes we did dad.. she isn't very happy about it though"  
Grimhilde: "Mal, you will go and you will be finally away from this awful place, you shouldn't be here, you are innocent children. I'm happy that finally, someone realized it"  
Mal: "Okay fine I'll go.. only because this way the other children will be set free"  
Grimhilde: "That's my girl"  
A few hours and some tearful goodbyes later, the four got in the limousine ready to go to Auradon


	2. Auradon

  
The moment they got in the limousine they knew their life was about to change but first...  
Jay: "Look! All this food just for us?"  
Mal: "Maybe they are trying to poison us..."  
Evie: "Don't be silly, they are good people..they wouldn't do anything like that.."  
Carlos: "Vio everything is going to be just fine"  
And with that Mal calmed down, Carlos had used the nickname that he had given her when they were younger when their mothers were awful and they could count only on each other, it reminded her of a more innocent period  
The moment the car passed the barrier Carlos and Mal felt the magic, Mal's eyes started glowing green and Carlos's were an electric blue  
Evie: "Now this could be a problem.. we should tell someone about your magic, this way you will receive help... mom told me we could trust Fairy Godmother, she'll know what to do"  
Jay: "I don't know E..."  
Evie: "We'll tell just FG, nobody else will know, you know FG and mom used to be friends, she will help us"  
Mal and Carlos, in the meantime, had fallen asleep, neither of them could sleep during the night, they were used to sleep during the day since they were babies and were exhausted by the unexpected feeling of magic

* * *

They had arrived, Mal and Carlos woke up with a start, but they were immediately reassured by Evie and Jay presence  
The driver opened the door and the four of them got out, the first thing they saw were three people coming closer, two teenagers (a boy and a girl) and an older woman, and finally, the crowd that was around the courtyard  
Evie recognized her immediately, she had seen her multiple times when her mother told her stories of her past, and whispered: "Fairy Godmother"  
FG: "You know me?" asked the woman surprised  
Evie: "Of course my mom showed me your pictures together"  
It was the turn of the boy to talk; he was tall and strong, the image of the perfect prince, he had golden hair and caramel eyes, he was wearing a blue suit  
Mal was staring at him because something told her that she knew him.. something about his sweet smile and those sparkling eyes.. yuck.. what was she thinking? If her mother could hear her she would have been in trouble  
Ben: "I'm Ben, it's a pleasure to finally meet you.."  
Audrey: "Prince Benjamin.. soon to be King"  
Ben: "And this is Audrey..."  
Audrey: "Princesses Audrey.. his girlfriend"  
Ben: "Right"  
It was clear to the four villain kids that Ben was annoyed by the girl, nonetheless, they decided to ignore her, Evie courtesied and Jay bowed for the Future King, Mal now remembered where she had seen the boy and Carlos... Carlos was still eating some kind of candy and watching the sunlight  
Everyone in the courtyard was surprised by this, they had all tried to imagine what the vks would be like... but this was nothing like they excepted  
Ben smiled happily, Audrey's jaw dropped, FG was in shock  
Ben: "So like Audrey said I'm Prince Ben, son of the Beast and Belle, would you like to introduce yourself?"  
Evie: "I'm Evie, daughter of Jafar and Grimhilde"  
Jay: "I'm Jay, her twin" he indicated Evie  
Mal: "Mal, Maleficent's daughter"  
Carlos: "Carlos, Cruella de Vil's son"  
Evie was sending weird looks at Mal and Carlos for not saying who their father was but after a few seconds, she realized that it was better this way. The people around them didn't seem frightened but were still watching them like they were ready to run if necessary, knowing that they were Hades's children wouldn't make it any easier  
FG: "Well we are very excited to meet you, I'm Fairy Godmother and the headmistress of Aurodon Prep, I will see you in Remedial Goodness 101 tomorrow.. even though it doesn't seem totally necessary" the last part was whispered so only the vks and Ben heard her  
Ben: "So.. shall we begin the tour?"  
They all followed him, while the crowd began to scatter. They stopped in front of a statue when Ben clapped his hands, said statue began to morph into a monster. Carlos screamed and hid behind Jay and Mal started growling, she got in front of Carlos like she was ready to fight the statue  
Evie: "Please make it morphe again now" it was a kind request but you could hear the warning behind it  
Audrey of course couldn't miss an opportunity like this one to make fun of Mal: "The daughter of Maleficent scared of a simple statue?"  
Mal wasn't even listening, instead, she was whispering comforting words to Carlos, who was starting to calm down. Evie and Jay though heard her and started to glared at the princess that decided to hide behind Ben, who looked at her and dragged her a little aback  
Ben: "Audrey stop bullying them, they didn't do anything so don't even try to tell me they are evil" he was whispering, he didn't want the whole school to hear another fight  
Audrey: "Ben, they were raised by villains, they are evil"  
Ben: "You were raised by the good guys, I didn't see you doing anything truly good these years"  
Ben, annoyed and tired of her actions, turned to face the vks with an apologizing look: "I'm sorry if the statue startled you, and for Audrey, are you okay?"  
Evie and Jay looked at Mal and Carlos  
Mal, after making sure Carlos was okay: "Sure, why don't we continue with the tour?"  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there,  
> Mal's nickname "Vio" is an abbreviation of Violette, which means purple because of her hair of course  
> Carlos also has a nickname, it will be revealed later on  
> Mal and Ben have shared dreams when they were younger, so they kinda to know each other, but it will be explained  
> I hope you like this new chapter


	3. A New Chance

They entered the school and were in the hall where Ben introduced 3 people that were clearly waiting for them, who seemed genuinely curious  
Ben: "These are Doug, Lonnie, and Jane, if you need anything you can ask them"  
Doug: "I'm Doug son of Dopey, I will help you with classes"  
Jane: "I'm Jane, daughter of FG" Evie and Jay smiled at her and nodded  
Lonnie: "I'm Lonnie, daughter of Mulan"  
The four looked impressed at the mention of Mulan, she was a badass and had quite a reputation on the Isle, everyone respected her. Ben and Doug showed the boys their dorm while Lonnie and Jane showed the dorm to the girls, the two rooms were one in front of the other  
But Mal and Carlos had something to say  
Mal: "Not to ruin your perfect plan for us, really grateful for saving us from that Rotten Isle"  
Carlos: "But we need a rearrangement"  
Ben: "What? You don't like the room?"  
Carlos: "No, the rooms are fine, the thing is that Mal and I need to sleep together"  
The aks looked shocked  
Evie: "Yeah, they can't sleep in two different rooms"  
Jay: "One time we tried, it didn't end up well"  
The aks looked at each other confused, they didn't know what to say or how to address this kind of talk, the rules were clear: boys and girls couldn't share the bed  
Evie: "So, here's the problem, Mal and Carlos are.." but she couldn't finish her sentence because Mal interrupted her  
Mal: "What she is trying to say is that we grew up together, we are like brothers, we are used to sharing the nest"  
Ben: "I'm sorry, did you say nest?"  
Mal looked at Evie confused, who turned to the aks  
Evie: "You called it bed, I think"  
Ben was confused but said: "Well.. we could talk to FG tomorrow, and see what she can do"  
Mal: "And tonight what do we do?"  
Ben thought about it and agreed: "Ok, let's go talk to FG"

* * *

  
In FG's office  
Evie: "Prince Ben, would you let us speak to Fairy Godmother on our own?"  
Ben: "I think you could use some help getting into her grace"  
Jay: "Thank you for the offer but we'll do this better by ourselves"  
The four vks entered the headmistress's office and shut the door close  
Evie: "Fairy Godmother, we need your help"  
FG looked worried but ready to help them: "Of course darlings"  
Evie and Jay started explaining what the problem was and the revelation of who Carlos and Mal's father was.. well... let's say FG was thankfully sitting in a chair at the moment.. it took them about an hour but it was decided that the four vks could share a room, she started the rearrangement immediately and told the kids to always go to her if in need of anything and that the four of them will be helped with their magic and that it could be a secret  
They thanked her and left, relieved and more relaxed, once in the hallway they saw that the aks had waited for them  
Ben: "So how did it go?"  
Evie: "I think it went fairly well, we will all share a dorm"  
Lonnie: "Cool, shall we continue the tour? Ben, you should go to meet your parents"  
Ben: "Sure, I'll see you at dinner" and with that, he left unaware of Mal staring  
They continued the tour, the aks showed them the classes rooms, the Tourney field and explained the various activities that they could join: robotic and art programs (Carlos and Mal seemed interested for a second and perked up), all the sports seemed to interest Jay, Mal, and Carlos  
The vks returned to their dorm to find it completely changed, FG was there; the room looked super cool to Jay, Evie, and Carlos, Mal simple nodded her approval. Evie and Jay asked FG if they could send a message to their parents to assure them that everything was fine, FG happily agreed and said that she could arrange a video call as she wanted to speak to Grimhilde herself  
Mal and Carlos in the meantime had fallen asleep, in separate but close beds (so they could feel the presence of the other and hold each other hands). The others looked at them, Evie and Jay with affection and FG with something that looked like sadness  
FG: "I'll go see what I can do for the video call, as for what we talked about in my office I can assure you nobody will hear it from me"  
Evie: "I knew we could trust you"  
FG: "Well, I'll see you tomorrow in class"  
Evie and Jay nodded and decided they could take a nap too, they were exhausted after everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there I'm here to explain a few things  
> So, as said Grimhilde and FG were friends before the whole situation with Snow White  
> Evie and Jay have magic, from their mother, it will be explained better in future chapters  
> Mal and Carlos have abandonment issues, they used to sleep together above some old sheets and they called it nest when they moved in the apartment and after that in the house of Jafar and Grimhilde they kept sleeping the way they used to  
> Hope you like this chapter, in the next I'll start to initiate Bal and Devie


	4. Dinner Time

  
Evie was well mannered, her mother didn't raise her like a princess but she taught her how to behave in front of others, Jay was taught the same things... Grimhilde didn't want her children to behave like beasts at the dinner table  
On the other hand, Grimhilde couldn't educate Mal and Carlos and she couldn't do anything to change the way they acted. Sure they started to have nicer behavior, they didn't steal nor were violent like they used to.. but when it came to food, it was an instinct born by the way their mothers treated them and nothing could change it. So when it came to dinner, Grimhilde let them have their fun  
This is why when the vks walked into the cafeteria Evie and Jay knew exactly what was going to happen, it didn't matter that Lonnie had explained to them how the buffet worked, the moment Mal and Carlos saw the amount of food they had access to.. it was hell  
They got in line, picked a plate and started putting all the food they could get on them, then proceeded to find a table and started eating like they hadn't eaten for days.. which was true actually, the last meal they had was 2 days ago. Evie and Jay followed them but eat more humanly, with no rush  
In moments like this Evie and Jay thanked God for the parents they had, it was in moments like this they desired to get revenge on Maleficent and Cruella for how they had treated their friends  
Of course, the aks not being used to see someone eat like this were confused and amused, but they also got worried that eating so much too fast would hurt their new friends so obviously Ben said: "Mal, Carlos, you can slow down, there's plenty of food to eat and nobody will steal it, also you could get sick if you eat so fast"  
Mal and Carlos stopped eating and looked at him, they shared a look and then swallowed  
Mal: "They won't steal it from us?" she looked like a little lost girl  
Ben: "Of course not" he was smiling at her  
Carlos lord around, as if to make sure nobody would get close to them, then turned to Ben: "How long until the next meal?"  
Ben was still smiling: "Well, there's breakfast in the morning, from 7 to 9 a.m., then there's lunch from 13 to 14-30 p.m., and dinner from 7 to 9 p.m."  
The vks were completely shocked, 3 meals a day  
Mal wasn't buying it: "You mean to tell me that we get 3 meals every day, for nothing in return and that nobody will try to steal it from us? Where's the catch?"  
Evie looked down at the table: "Mal, there's no catch"  
Mal: "Oh come on! You believe them!?" she was starting to get angry  
Jay: "Don't you remember what mom and dad told us about them... "  
Mal now was very angry, her eyes starting glowing bright green, Ben could swear he saw a flash of lightning in them and heard thunder outside, she hissed: "They are the same people that left us to starve to death, I can remember what ours" she indicated Carlos "mothers said about them, and I tell you this, I do not trust the son of the man that left us almost die multiple times by the hand of those criminals; do I need to remind you what happened to us?" she was now on her feet and the whole cafeteria heard what she had said as she had started yelling, now she was growling at Evie and Jay  
Carlos knew this was the moment to intervene: "Vio it's okay, we can trust Ben, remember he brought us here and he will save all of them.. it may be too late for us but think about Dizzy, Gil.. all the innocents that deserve to be here in Auradon. We can trust Ben" this was all said in a whisper, only those at their table heard him  
Mal looked at Carlos, calmed down and nodded, and left the cafeteria, she wasn't hungry anymore  
Carlos sat down, he knew she needed some time alone and started eating again, Evie and Jay did the same  
Ben: "Should we check on her?"  
Carlos scoffed: "If you want to die, sure go ahead. But I advise you to stay here. She needs to stay alone right now... Mal and I.. are different from Evie and Jay. We didn't grow up the same way they did, our mothers.. they are insane.." he shook his head, smirking self-deprecating  
Evie: "It's my fault... I shouldn't have pushed her.."  
She had stopped eating, she wasn't hungry anymore knowing she was the one who had upset Mal  
Carlos looked at her for a minute before returning to his food: "Well it didn't help but you know how she is.. tomorrow will be better. She needs to adjust to this new life"  
Ben: "Okay, we'll leave her to adjust, but be sure to bring some food to her" then he looking Carlos "and you are right Carlos, you can trust me."  
Carlos: "Oh I know." he pointed the fork at Ben "Because if you dare to even think about betraying us you will suffer a slow and painful death... don't underestimate me, I was raised by Cruella and Maleficent, I know how to make people suffer, and rest assure that Mal will help me"  
It was said in such a cold and threatening tone that Ben had no problem believing him, Carlos's eyes had started glowing an electric blue. He then proceeded to finish his dinner, pick up something for Mal and leave  
Evie and Jay sent apologizing looks to the aks  
Evie: "I assure you they are good guys, they just have a dark past... our mom told us that here you have something call therapy... I was thinking maybe once we are settled and they are more.. accommodated to life here they could try it.." she turned to her brother and said: "Beanie what do you think?"  
She was so relaxed there that she just went back to call him by his nickname, they use it when they needed comfort and this was one of those times  
Jay: "Blue, you know how they will react to it.. we'll have to wait months.. and you know what they think about doctors.. they only accepted Anastasia to visit them because she is a friend of mom"  
The aks were looking at each other, confused by their interaction and the nicknames, they just shrugged and left, this was a private conversation  
Evie: "I know Beanie... but Puppy trusts the Prince, and you know Vio will do anything Puppy ask... we have to convince him"  
Jay: "And how exactly are you planning on doing that?"  
Evie: "Well... I can't plan everything, we will think of something for Hades's sakes"  
Jay: "Fine fine, we will think about it later, for now, we help them adjust to Auradon and then we'll see"  
They turned to talk to Ben only to see that the aks had left, they decided to talk to FG and Ben the next day. When Evie and Jay returned to their dorm Carlos and Mal were fast asleep


	5. Once Upon A Dream

That dream again...  
 _"Hey Mal come on, let's go for a swim"_  
 _Here he was, standing tall and handsome like always, like when she first met him in her dreams and real life_  
 _"Ben, I can't swim you know it"_  
 _"Then I'll teach you" he offered her his hand_  
 _And there it was.. his sweet smile..._  
 _She smiled back and was about to take his hand..._  
 _But of course, something was about to interrupt them_  
 _Maleficent_  
 _"So he's the one who convinced you to left me behind"_  
 _"Mother! What are you doing here?"_  
 _"Oh don't you worry darling... I'm here to get rid of this awful hope you seem to have. He will never love you, I'm quite sure he doesn't have these dreams, so stop it and come back to me"_  
 _"I don't want to come back to you"_  
 _"Well in this case... I suppose I'll have to kill him" she smirked evilly_  
 _And with that, a bolt of lightning struck Ben_  
 _Mal screamed and then..._  
Mal: "NO DON'T TOUCH HIM"  
She sat up in the bed, she was panting and sweating, she looked around her and realized she was in her room in Auradon. She was far away from her mother and so was Ben, everything was okay, they were safe. But she couldn't stop the fear that was settling in her heart.. she had to make sure Ben was okay  
She got out of her dorm  
The day before during the tour Ben had led them to his room, he said that if they needed anything they could go to him  
Now Mal wasn't going to knock, of course  
 _"Pts, I'm an isle girl"_  
She just wanted to make sure that Ben was alright, with the help of magic she opened the door, closed it behind her, and went near the bed where Ben was sleeping peacefully, his breathing calm  
He was safe, now she could go back to her dorm and try to sleep a little more  
Mal sighed in relief: "Just a dream, he's safe"  
Little did she know that the prince was awake when she left the dorm

* * *

  
It was that dream again  
 _They were at the Enchanted Lake again, Mal was beautiful like always, like the first dream, like yesterday when he had met her in real life_  
 _"Ben, you know I can't swim"_  
 _"I'll teach you" he smiled at her and offer his hand_  
 _She smiled back and was about to take it_  
 _But there she was again, Maleficent_  
 _It wasn't the first time she appeared in his dreams to hurt Mal but every time he couldn't help but feel the same fear that took over him like now when Maleficent's lightning struck Mal_  
 _Mal fell and all he could do was scream_  
Ben: "NOOO" he woke up panting and sweating like he always did after these nightmares  
Every time that Maleficent had appeared in his dream he couldn't do anything to stop her or make sure that Mal was okay... he was so tired he had forgotten that she was now in Auradon  
He hadn't spoken to anyone about the dreams. He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep and in that moment he heard the door opened, a figure entered his room, he recognized the petite figure immediately  
Mal  
She was in his room, he closed his eyes for a few minutes, sure that it was a dream again but then he heard her  
Mal: "Just a dream, he's safe"  
She turned and left  
The soon to be King couldn't help but smile. She was real, she had had a nightmare like his and had come to make sure he was alright

* * *

  
In the morning the vks had just one lesson, Remedial Goodness 101  
FG explained what classes they had to join and which ones were optional. Jay, Carlos, and Mal decided to join Tourney  
FG was surprised by Mal choice, no other girl had joined the team but it wasn't against the rules  
After lunch, the vks went to the tourney field with FG, who spoke with the coach about the vks joining the team. He also was surprised by Mal choice but overall excited, he explained that they had to pass the trials to get on the team  
Jay, Carlos, and Mal had no problem with that, they were sure of their skills  
When the team arrived in the field they were surprised to see a girl at trials  
Ben simply smiled at them and waved  
Chad had something to say of course: "Coach.. you won't let her join the team, will you?"  
Coach: "If she's good enough to pass the trials then yes, she will join the team. You have problems with that, Chad?"  
The boy, who hadn't even bother to introduce himself to the vks, scoffed and turned away  
Ben sent an apologizing look to the vks  
The trials began and as the vks expected it was really easy. The team watched the vks pass the trials, surprised by their skills. The coach happily announced the 3 new teammates  
Ben went to congratulate: "Wow, you guys are good"  
Mal was avoiding his gaze and she seemed genuinely tired  
Carlos had noticed this and was watching his sister and the Prince carefully  
Jay: "Yeah, on the Isle there isn't much to do besides run"  
Carlos: "Especially if you are stealing"  
Jay elbowed him  
Ben chuckled a little: "Well I'm happy you joined... Mal? Are you okay?"  
He was watching her now, worried  
She looked at him and for a moment it seemed that time had stopped, he smiled at her like in their dreams and she couldn't stop the soft smile that appeared on her face.. but of course, someone interrupted them  
Audrey was looking at Jay and Carlos: "Of course you would try to join the team"  
Mal looked at her and seemed to remember that Ben had a girlfriend, Jay and Carlos were exchanging looks between Ben and Mal, they had seen the small smile appear and were confused  
Evie was there too: "You were fantastic guys, Mal you especially! You should have seen the face that that boy Chad made when you scored" then she looked at Audrey and said politely "Hi Audrey! How are you?"  
Audrey hadn't seen the practice and was now watching Mal like she was some kind of alien: "You? You joined the team?"  
Mal: "You got problems with that, princess?" she narrowed her eyes, ready for a fight with Audrey  
Audrey: "But you are a girl!"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "Thank you for telling me, I didn't realize it.. what would I do without you?"  
Ben chuckled at that, everyone looked at him and he blushed: "We should go change. For dinner"  
Evie and Mal left, Mal had to go shower to her dorm since she was the first girl to join the Tourney team and she couldn't change in the locker room with the boys  
Evie: "So.."  
Mal was putting on her pants: "What?"  
Evie: "Where did you go last night?"  
Mal sighed.. of course, her best friend had noticed: "I had a nightmare so I went for a walk"  
Evie: "You okay?" sincerely worried about her friend  
Mal put on a t-shirt: "I'm fine... how did it go with Doug?"  
Evie and Doug had sat together and talked for the entire practice since neither of them played  
Evie was now blushing: "I don't know what you are talking about"  
Mal looked at her: "He clearly likes you"  
Evie: "Then what about Ben?"  
Mal glared at her: "What about him?"  
Evie smiled wickedly: "Well, he clearly likes you"  
Mal sighed: "He has a girlfriend"  
Evie raised an eyebrow: "And yet he can't stop looking at you"  
Mal: "Evie.." there was a warning there  
Evie frowned: "What? Can't I hope for my friend to be happy?"  
Mal sat on her bed: "You know I don't do 'boyfriends'"  
Evie smiled: "Sweetie... Ben isn't like Harry"  
Mal: "I know that.."  
Evie let go, knowing that she would upset her friend more if she continued this conversation: "Let's get ready for dinner"  
A knock interrupted them, Evie let the person outside know that they could enter  
Lonnie opened the door and looked at Mal like she was some kind of hero: "Is it true? Did you join the Tourney Team?"  
Mal was confused: "Yeah?"  
Lonnie smiled: "FINALLY! A girl that understands me!" and with that, she left the room  
Mal looked at Evie, who in return was looking at the door  
Evie looked at Mal and shrugged: "This Auradonians are really weird"  
Mal: "Told you"


	6. Audrey

  
Okay, this was it. He had to break up with her.   
Rumors had it that Mal had changed the hairstyle of Jane and Audrey went all over herself to make her feel bad  
Jane luckily didn't listen to her, she had become fast friends with Evie and Mal and didn't care about what Auradon Prep thought anymore  
He went to talk to Mal, he knocked on her door  
Mal opened the door and avoided his gaze, she had started to do that often when he was around: "Hey Ben"  
Ben always happy to see her, smiled and sighed, she was beautiful: "Hey Mal"  
Mal: "Are you here for Jay or Carlos?" she said looking behind her at her friends, they perked up at their names  
Ben: "No, I'm actually here for you"  
Evie was sewing her next dress but when she heard that she looked up to meet his eyes and smiled  
Mal: "Oh.. you needed to tell me something or.." she was genuinely confused  
Ben: "I'm here to talk about what you did to Jane"  
Jane: "I asked her to do it and it didn't hurt!"  
Ben was surprised to see her there: "Jane.."  
Jane: "Ben I swear.."  
Ben interrupted: "Jane!"  
Everyone in the room stared at him, Carlos and Mal seemed particularly taken aback by his yell  
Ben: "Sorry, what I was trying to say is that I talked with FG because Audrey told me that Mal had set on fire your hair" then he turn to Mal "Of course I didn't believe her, I went there to discuss Audrey's behavior, I came here to apologize for her actions towards you all"  
Mal and Carlos were confused and said at the same time: "Why are you apologizing?"  
Ben: "Because she was rude to you" He was getting used to it, Mal and Carlos often talked at the same time  
Carlos: "Yeah, she said some nasty things but why are you apologizing for something she did?"  
Jay: "Probably he feels responsible since she is his girlfriend"  
At this Mal seemed to shrink a little: "You don't have to apologize, she didn't really hurt our feelings; Carlos and I are used to that kind of treatment, and Jay and Evie are smart enough to not care about what she thinks so.." she started to close the door so that Ben would go away  
Evie: "Wait! You said you were here to talk to Mal"  
At this point, Mal turned to look at Ben again  
Ben: "Yes thank you, Evie, what I wanted to tell you is that you are free to use your magic"  
Mal seemed relieved, Carlos too since he had magic (but Ben didn't know it)  
Jay and Evie's magic was more about potions and simple spells, in these few days they had discovered they could talk through telepathy with Carlos and Mal  
At that moment Lonnie came: "Mal! Here you are! I looked everywhere for you"  
Mal confused: "You did?"  
Lonnie: "Yeah, I wanted to ask if you could do my hair as you did for Jane" then she saw Ben "Hey Ben!"  
Ben waved at her, amused by her usual chirpy behavior  
Evie: "Why don't you all step in the dorm?" she wanted to study Ben's behavior around Mal to see if her assumptions were true  
Ben: "Sorry I have to go and meet Audrey, but I'll see you around. Bye" he left with the last smile for Mal  
Mal closed the door behind him and stared at it for a minute before turning towards Lonnie that had gone near Evie to talk about her new hairstyle, Jane was listening to their conversation  
Jay and Carlos approached her and asked her if everything was okay, she nodded  
Mal smiled: "Let's change your hair, Lonnie"

* * *

  
Ben went to find Audrey, that was sitting on a bench looking at her reflection in the mirror when she heard someone approaching she turned  
Audrey smiled at him: "Bennyboo, here you are"  
He hated that nickname  
Ben: "Hi Audrey, can we talk?"  
Audrey: "Sure, Bennyboo"  
They started walking, she tried to grab his hand but he withdrew it  
Ben: "I think you know what I want to talk about.."  
Audrey: "I actually don't, is everything okay? Is it about the villains? Ben, I told you they would do something sooner or later..."  
Ben: "Audrey.. we have to break up"  
Audrey was completely shocked: "What? But Bennyboo I don't understand"  
Ben: "I'm sorry Audrey but I can't pretend anymore, I don't like the way you act, not only towards the vks but also towards Jane or Lonnie or Doug.. or me, you never listen to me... and I don't like you anymore" he didn't want to hurt her feelings but he had to be determined  
Audrey was about to cry: "Ben, please let's talk I'm sure we can.."  
Ben: "No, we can't. It's over. I'm sorry, you seem to not care about anyone but yourself. I used to like being your friend but now... I don't recognize you"  
He left. Finally, it was over. He was free


	7. Accident

  
The next day at practice Ben seemed.. weird.. he smiled a lot  
Well he smiled a lot to Mal, Carlos had noticed it and he was worried. He knew Ben was nothing like Harry, they were in Auradon, clearly, here boys were educated differently but he couldn't help but be protective of his sister  
Carlos decided to talk to the Prince directly, he crossed his arms: "Hey buddy, what's happening?"  
Ben seemed confused: "What's happening with what?"  
Carlos tilted his head towards Mal: "With my sister. You have a girlfriend and you flirt with Mal? Listen, I understand that you are the future King and maybe you think that this allows you to have everything you want.. but you are wrong." He pointed his finger at Ben "You stay the hell away from my sister or else" he growled a little to let his intentions be known  
Ben put his hands in the air: "Woah Carlos calm down. Audrey and I aren't together anymore, I broke up with her... and with Mal... I like her, I really like her" he smiled softly looking at Mal who was talking with Jay about the exercise they were doing "I don't know how to explain it to you... I dream about her since.."  
Carlos interrupted him: "You have dreams about my sister? Since when?" He seemed worried but not angry with him  
Ben: "Yeah, I dream about her since I was like.. 8 years old. Wait, Mal is your sister?"  
Carlos was stunned, he knew about Mal's dream, he also knew what Maleficent thought about them  
Maleficent.. when she had found out about Mal's dream.. it was hell.. she took Mal to the darkroom.. and when his sister had finally come out she was different, from that moment she refused physical touch even more than usual, she didn't speak about her dreams anymore.. a few months after that they had escaped  
Ben: "Carlos, you okay?"  
Carlos hadn't realized that he had been daydreaming, he looked at Mal and when she looked back, she ran to him  
Mal: "Carlos what's wrong? What happened?" She started looking around them, searching for the danger  
Carlos: "Nothing Mal, we'll talk later"  
The practice began and Mal left it there  
Ben and Jay were near Chad and noticed he looked weirdly at Mal, they looked at each other and decided to keep an eye on him. Unfortunately, they didn't realize what Chad wanted to do until it was too late  
He started charging Mal, she was ready to take him but then he used the stick to throw at her the ball  
She was hit in the forehead and she fell backward, she stayed laying on her back not moving  
Ben: "MAL NO"  
He ran like his life depended on it and reached her, he was worried sick  
Carlos took a look at her and she told him mentally that she was fine, Jay and Evie heard her too and like a united front they went to Chad  
Jay and Carlos were growling and Evie was ready to beat him up, their fists closed and ready to throw a punch. Chad fell on the ground while trying to run away  
But Doug intervened: "Wait stop guys!"  
Jay's voice was cold: "Doug you seem a good guy, get the hell out of our ways or you'll suffer too"  
Doug: "If you hurt him, you will be in trouble, you could be sent back"  
That stopped the 3 vks, they looked at him, nodded and then all together spat at Chad, turned around to go to Mal, she was in a sitting position, her hand was pressing on the forehead  
Mal: "I'm fine, Bennyboo"  
Ben: "You are not fine, he hit you on the head" weirdly the nickname didn't bother him like it usually did when Audrey said it  
Mal smiled a little: "Don't worry, I can handle a little pain"  
Ben: "But you shouldn't.." he was sad now, he knew why she could handle the pain... he felt a cold hand to his cheek  
Mal was looking at him and whispered: "It's not your fault Ben, you saved me" she wanted to say something else but FG and a man arrived  
FG: "What happened?"  
Mal cleared her throat: "Just an accident"  
Ben near her was growling: "It wasn't an accident, Chad hit her"  
Mal: "But I'm fine now" she was trying to get up  
Doc: "Well that is something I shall decide"  
Mal stopped and moved away from the man: "Who are you?"  
Ben: "He's Doc, Doug's uncle, he's the doctor that works at the school infirmary"  
Mal looked at Ben: "I'm fine, I don't need a doctor"  
Ben: "It's just a visit to.."  
Carlos: "She said she is fine" his tone final  
Evie said something to FG, who turned to Doc: "I'll visit her Doc, don't worry"  
Doc left  
Ben helped Mal to stand up, she tried to walk on her own but a look from Ben silenced her, she put her arm around Ben's shoulder and let him help her  
Carlos, Evie, and Jay seemed surprised by this  
Mal letting someone help her? Impossible  
Ben helped Mal sit, away from the field  
They smiled at each other but Ben was still worried  
FG used her magic to see if Mal had some injury, she was fine  
Ben sighed relieved and thanked FG  
Mal: "Told you, Bennyboo" she smirked at him  
Ben rolled his eyes but was relieved: "Sure"  
FG: "Mal you were hit on the head, there was no trauma but you should be careful" Mal nodded "Now will someone explained what happened?"  
Ben was angry again: "Chad happened.. since I broke up with Audrey they are acting like it's Mal's fault and.."  
Mal seemed surprised: "You broke up with her?"  
Ben laughed a little and whispered something about the vks not knowing about rumors and gossips  
Evie: "You didn't hear Mal? Everyone knows it"  
Carlos and Jay raised their eyebrows, Ben understood that not everyone knew about the breakup  
Ben: "Of course you knew Evie" then turned to Mal "Yes, I broke up with her"  
FG: "I'll talk to Chad and the Coach" she turned to leave with a smile to the vks and Ben


	8. A Simple Saturday

  
It was their first Saturday in Auradon  
Carlos and Mal were awake, FG had told Mal to not sleep in case the concussion was more serious than she thought. Evie and Jay were fast asleep  
Ben had checked on Mal before going to his dorm, Carlos and Jay had rolled their eyes and Evie had winked at her, she simply smiled at him  
It was past 3 a.m. when they heard a weird noise. Living on an Isle full of dangers taught them some things, they got out of the dorm and followed the noise, it came from Ben's room  
Carlos: "What should we do?"  
Mal: "I don't know, he could just be having a nightmare"  
Carlos: "Well.. maybe we should wake him up"  
Mal: "Carlos, it's none of our business, let's go back to our dorm"  
She started going back when she heard Ben say "Don't hurt her, let her go. Maleficent stop!"  
Mal turned around, Carlos was shocked. They looked at each other for a second before Mal opened the door magically just in time to see the young Prince scream in agony  
Ben: "MAL NO!" he was sitting on the bed now  
Mal: "Ben I'm here, I'm okay"  
Carlos: "Yeah, you are safe buddy"  
Mal was sitting on the bed with Ben, a hand on his shoulder and Carlos was standing near the bed  
Ben turned to look at Mal, he was trying to catch his breath: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Yeah it's me"  
He hugged her, Mal turned to stone as she wasn't used to physical touch  
Carlos looked at her, shrugged, and went to close the door, Mal was moving her hands on Ben's back in a comforting pattern trying to reassure him  
Ben was now confused: "Wait guys, what are you doing here?"  
Carlos: "Well we were awake in our room when we heard a noise and we decided to follow it, we were outside your room when we heard you screaming so we got in"  
Mal: "You were screaming Maleficent's name, you dream about her a lot?"  
Ben's mood seemed to darken a bit: "Sometimes.."  
Mal: "No need to worry, she won't hurt you, she's on the Isle, she can't reach you here"  
Ben: "Oh she wasn't hurting me, she was hurting you"  
Mal seemed surprised that he would admit it, she had heard her name escape his lips but...  
Carlos seeing that Mal was in distress: "She won't hurt Mal either, we are here and we are far more powerful than she ever will be, plus as Mal said, she is stuck on the Isle"  
Mal: "Why don't you try to sleep now?"  
Ben: "I can't, not after these nightmares"  
Mal: "Okay.. what would you like to do? We could stay here with you for a while" she had turned to look briefly at Carlos  
Carlos: "Yeah totally"  
Ben was surprised  
How anyone could be afraid of them?mHere they were offering some comfort to him, the son of the man who caused their worst memories...  
Ben: "We could play Monopoly"  
The two vks seemed confused, Ben explained the rules of the game and the three of them spend the rest of the night playing until Ben fell asleep. Mal and Carlos put him in bed and walked out of the room

* * *

  
The next morning  
Ben reached the cafeteria and saw Evie and Jay  
Ben: "Hey guys, how are you?"  
Evie: "Hey Ben, we are fine, how are you?"  
Ben had expected them to ask him about his nightmares but they didn't bring it up: "I'm a little tired" then noticing Mal and Carlos were nowhere to be seen "Where are Mal and Carlos?"  
Jay: "Sleeping. FG told Mal to stay awake till this morning and Carlos kept her company"  
It seemed like Jay and Evie didn't know about his nightmare, Ben smiled  
Evie: "This morning FG came to visit her and told her she could sleep"  
Jay: "We expect them to wake up at 2 p.m."  
Evie nodded. Then Doug came with Lonnie and Jane. Like Jay said at 2 p.m Mal and Carlos were in the tourney field.. playing.. with knives  
Ben: "What are you doing?" he seemed worried  
Jay: "Yeah, are you crazy?" then took a knife out of his pocket, and "why didn't you call me?"  
The aks were speechless and turned to Evie  
Evie: "We don't have toys and it's always useful to know how to defend yourself on the Isle, so knives and swords were our toys growing up, especially for Carlos and Mal"  
Carlos accidentally scratch Mal's cheek, she threw her knife away and charged him and they were on the ground fighting  
Jay rolled his eyes and to sit back with the aks and his sister  
Doug: "Should we do something?" he was slightly amused by Carlos and Mal's behavior  
Jay: "Nah in a few minutes it will be over"  
Carlos and Mal stopped fighting and came for him, he didn't expect it, Carlos escaped but Mal was pinned on the ground, laughing  
Jay: "Oh you think it's funny, devil's spawn?"  
Ben seemed offended but Evie stopped him and explained to him it was something normal, still, he felt a little jealous, Jay was really close to Mal  
Carlos came back to help his sister  
The fight stopped when Evie yelled "LUNCH"  
They all came to sit, Mal sat next to Ben at his right and Carlos at his left, they asked him how he was and then started eating  
Ben seemed happy with Mal's decision to sit next to him until Lonnie asked: "So Jay.. you and Mal are dating?"

Mal almost suffocated, Jay was laughing harder than ever, Carlos and Evie were looking at Lonnie like she was the weirdest thing they had ever seen  
When Jay stopped laughing: "No of course not, she is like my sister, besides have you not met Mal? She's not 'girlfriend material', with all the stupid things her mother told her about love"  
Mal was sending him death glares, like Evie  
Jay: "What? You know I'm right and after Harry.."  
Mal threw a knife, it landed near Jay's leg, who seemed to get the message to stop talking  
Carlos seemed upset  
Ben looked at Mal, she was looking at the sun but it was clear she wasn't present, trapped in some memory, he nudged her and she looked at him  
Ben: "Are you okay?"  
Mal nodded and smiled a little


	9. Cookies

  
Carlos and Mal were in the kitchen, baking. When they had escaped their mothers, they had learned how to bake and cook  
It was 3 a.m. They had skipped breakfast, lunch, and dinner as they had been sleeping or running around with Jay  
They were hungry and Lonnie had told them they could use the kitchen if needed  
Carlos and Mal were talking about the nightmare Ben had, Carlos wanted to talk about it with FG   
Mal: "We won't talk about it anymore Carlos"  
Carlos: "Yeah, we will. You share dreams with Ben for Hades's sake"  
Mal's eyes started to glow and she growled at him, he wasn't worried, he knew she would never hurt him  
Mal: "We. Won't. Talk. About. It. This conversation ends here or..."  
Carlos: "Or what Mal? You'll hurt me? We both know you won't"  
Mal smirked just like Maleficent: "I don't need to harm you to hurt you... I noticed you seem to like Jane..." she looked at her nails, playing it cool  
Carlos stopped in his track: "You wouldn't "  
Mal: "You sure about that?"  
They both knew how to be evil, they had stopped to act badly when they met Evie and Jay sure, but that didn't mean they had forgotten how they had survived on the Isle on their own  
Carlos scoffed: "I'm not hungry anymore" He left  
She knew he was annoyed with her but.. he didn't know what he was talking about... if the world knew that Maleficent's daughter and the Beast's son shared dreams...  
She remembers that night like it was yesterday  
 _On the Isle, Mal was almost 12, she had been dreaming about Ben for about 4 years now when her mother had found out_  
 _Maleficent was mad: "What does this mean Mal?"_  
 _Mal: "They are just dreams, Mother. They mean nothing"_  
 _Maleficent went near her: "If they meant nothing you wouldn't have them. You know what I think about dreams.."_  
 _Mal: "Mother.."_  
 _But a glare from Maleficent shut her up, she knew what was coming, she got up and followed her mother to the darkroom_  
It was a nightmare...  
Of course, the dreams didn't stop but Mal started to pretend she didn't have them  
In the darkroom.. bad stuff used to happen but that week... Maleficent showed her that nobody cared about her, nobody would love her, that men were interested in just one thing, and that she and Ben could never be together  
A few months after that she escaped with Carlos

* * *

  
Ben couldn't sleep and when he reached the kitchen he saw Mal there  
Carlos was sitting on the floor but when he saw him he got up  
Carlos: "I wouldn't go there if I were you, Mal is in a bad mood"  
Ben got worried: "Is she okay?"  
Carlos laughed darkly: "Not even close but she won't talk to me... so.." then he looked at him "Maybe she will tell you.. a warning if she starts to growl, run"  
He went back to his dorm, Ben entered the kitchen cautiously  
Ben: "Hey Mal.. how are you?"  
Mal seemed to snap, she was looking at him weirdly and said in a cold tone: "I'm fine, thank you, Benny Boo"  
Ben scoffed: "You won't stop with that nickname, will you?"  
Mal: "Of course not" she smiled wickedly  
Ben looked at the mess: "So.. what were you trying to do?"  
Mal: "Carlos and I were hungry so we came to bake cookies"  
Ben: "And what happened? You ate Carlos?"  
Mal laughed, he loved her laugh and he loved being one of the few who could make her laugh  
Mal: "No" now she seemed a little sad "we argued and I may have exaggerated... so he left me"  
She didn't seem too worried like she knew that nothing will ever ruin her relationship with her best friend and almost brother  
Ben: "Well... I could help you with the cookies"  
Mal took a look at him, smiled softly, and nodded. It took a few hours but the cookies were amazing  
Mal: "Mm I'll let the people know that their future King can bake, they will be so excited"  
Ben: "Please no"  
Mal: "I can already see the titles "Long Live the baKing Ben" "  
Ben started laughing and fell off the chair  
Mal smiled

* * *

  
FG was heading to the kitchen when she saw them laughing, she smiled happily, she never saw Ben laugh like that, she took a picture of them and send it to Belle with the caption: 'Maybe he found his true love'  
She then entered the room, Mal saw her first and got off the kitchen island  
Ben seeing her so rigid got up from the floor: "Goodmorning FG, how are you this fine Sunday?"  
FG smiled at the future King: "Goodmorning Ben and Mal, I'm quite fine, how are you?"  
Ben: "Fine thanks"  
Mal nodded but when she saw the look Ben sent her she rolled her eyes and smiled: "Goodmorning FG, I'm okay, thank you"  
FG smiled: "It's still early and I suppose you two didn't sleep too much" Ben looked down, Mal simply shrugged a little "Go to your dorm and sleep. Ben, your parents will be coming over for lunch to meet the..." she stopped, she didn't know how to say it  
Mal: "Villain kids?" she was smiling sincerely this time  
FG smiled at her: "For now it will do"  
Ben: "Okay, thank you for reminding me, we'll see you at lunch"  
The teenagers left but before Mal entered her room she stopped Ben  
Mal: "Thank you for tonight, I never asked you... why were you awake?"  
Ben: "Another nightmare"  
Mal seemed worried  
Ben: "It's okay don't worry, it's just the stress.. you know 'future King blah blah'" he tried to smile  
Mal frowned, moved closer and kissed him on the cheek, then whispered: "Goodnight Prince Ben"  
Ben was shocked and just stared at her before saying: "Goodnight Mal"  
Mal entered her room and went to sleep  
Ben turned and entered his dorm, looked up at the ceiling and smiled a goofy smile, then reach his bed and fell asleep


	10. Adam and Belle

  
Mal was sleeping peacefully when Evie woke her up  
Evie: "Ben is waiting for us, we have to meet the King and the Queen"  
Mal frowned: "Do we really have to? I don't know if I can control myself"  
Carlos: "Yeah, I have a few things I'd like to share with them"  
They both were upset, and they were right of course  
Jay: "Guys we already talked about this.." In the limo and every day since then, he gave them a pep talk about revenge  
Carlos: "Vengeance is for the bad"  
Mal: "We must learn to forgive"  
Carlos: "Because we are here to be good"  
Mal: "As this is the only way for the innocent to have a chance"  
Carlos: "A chance to be good"  
Mal: "A chance to be happy"  
Jay and Evie were surprised  
Jay: "Well in this case.. you ready?"  
Carlos and Mal looked at each other, they were communicating as they used to when they were children, and then nodded to Evie and Jay  
They left the dorm, to find Ben standing there  
Evie: "Hi Ben, we are ready, how are you?"  
Ben looked at Mal, blushed slightly, and then nodded  
To Evie, Jay, and Carlos it was clear the future King was crushing hard on their friend but Mal seemed to not notice it  
Ben: "I'm fine thank you. How are you? Nervous?"  
Mal: "To meet those who are guilty of our worst fears and nightmares?"  
Carlos: "The same people who locked us in with all those criminals for being born?"  
Ben was speechless whilst Evie and Jay were just shaking their heads  
Ben seemed to try and find something to say when Carlos and Mal started laughing  
Carlos: "You should see your face"  
Mal was laughing too   
Carlos: "Adorable really" Mal nodded  
Ben rolled his eyes: "All right, now that you are done making fun of me" he glared at Mal and Carlos who were still fighting the laughter "Let's go meet my parents"  
He led the way to the cafeteria where the King and Queen were waiting with FG  
Nobody was laughing now  
Mal: "I don't think I can do this"  
Carlos seemed ready to puke and Mal looked even paler then usually  
Evie and Jay were ready to comfort their friends but Ben said the right thing: "If you don't want to meet them it's totally fine. I'll never be able to understand what you guys went through but I get it if you aren't are the reason for your suffering"  
Mal and Carlos looked at each other for a while  
Mal: "A chance to be good"  
Carlos: "A chance to be happy"  
They nodded at Ben, he smiled and they entered the cafeteria  
FG: "Guys finally. I almost thought that you got lost" she was nervous, it was clear  
But it was the sight of the King and Queen that stopped the vks, all four of them looked stunned  
Even Evie was speechless, she couldn't think  
Evie and Jay's life was happier than Mal and Carlos's but it didn't mean that it was an easy life. Jay seemed to get angrier as he watched the King, he was once a Beast but he got the chance to be happy here while his parents were locked on the Isle  
Carlos and Mal couldn't think of a reason why they shouldn't kill these two. They remembered everything, they were seeing it all again.. the smell of blood.. their blood  
Adam: "Hello, I'm King Adam, but I guess you already know that" he was trying to joke, he could feel the tension in the room  
Belle: "Hey, I'm Belle"  
Ben smiled nervously: "Guys, why don't you introduce yourself?"  
The vks looked at him, he was nervous, but there was anger in his eyes, he was by their side and that was what made them move. Evie and Carlos relaxed immediately, Jay and Mal stopped fidgeting with their hands  
Evie courted and Mal, Carlos, and Jay bowed  
Evie: "I'm Evie, the daughter of Grimhilde and Jafar"  
Jay: "I'm Jay, her twin brother"  
Carlos: "I'm Carlos, son of Cruella and Hades"  
Mal: "Mal, daughter of Maleficent and Hades"  
Ben didn't know Hades was the father of Mal and Carlos, but he didn't seem too surprised, he smiled because he knew what they were trying to do  
His father was clearly already afraid of Mal and was watching intently Carlos, but when Hades's name was made he turned to stone  
His mother rolled her eyes at her husband: "Why don't we sit and talk a bit?"  
The vks sat in their "I'm dangerous" way and Ben smiled, he sat on their side  
FG sat with Adam and Belle and started talking  
FG: "Ok, so Evie here is great at sewing dresses, Mal, Jay, and Carlos joined the Tourney Team. The four of them have magic" She looked at the four, who nodded "but only Mal used it, to do Jane and Lonnie's hair after their request. They are taking Remedial Goodness and I find them quite prepared"  
Her intentions were clear, she wanted to make sure that his father knew that these kids were nothing like their parents had been  
Belle: "And any of you like to read?"  
Carlos, Jay, and Evie looked at Mal at the same time  
Mal: "I guess I'm the one who likes to read the most"  
Evie: "She also likes to draw and cook"  
Carlos: "She can sing very well"  
Jay: "But most importantly she loves sports"  
Carlos and Evie looked at him  
Jay: "What? It's important"  
Carlos: "Clearly the most important thing here is that she can sing, like all those princesses in their books"  
Evie: "No, the most important thing is that she can cook"  
Mal: "I think that the most important thing is that I managed to not kill you all till now"  
Ben laughed at that, Belle looked at Mal with more interest now  
She had seen the picture FG sent her, and was now trying to see the signals of true love  
 _Ben was 4 when FG checked him, searching for possible curses, Adam was nervous and pacing, she was looking at her only son_  
 _FG gasped_  
 _They looked at her afraid_  
 _FG: "He isn't cursed but he's destined to find a true love" she was watching them_  
 _It had been years since a True Love_  
 _Belle: "What will happen to him if he doesn't find it?"_  
 _FG: "He will, he will start dreaming her and they will meet"_  
 _Adam had taken her hand and smiled, their baby wasn't cursed_

FG: "Why don't we eat something?"  
Hearing this Carlos and Mal stopped arguing and nodded vigorously, Evie and Jay simply smiled at their antics. The younger vks went to get food, Mal chose food for herself, Jay and Ben; Carlos chose for Evie, FG, and himself. They brought back the food and then looked at the King and Queen and asked: "What would you like to eat?"  
Ben was smiling at Mal for getting him food and thanked her, it was such a sweet smile that Mal couldn't help but blush a little  
Belle: "We can go and pick for ourselves the food, don't worry, sweetie"  
Adam nodded and got up. Mal and Carlos were waiting to eat just because Evie was glaring at them  
The moment Adam and Belle sat down they dove in. They hadn't eaten in the morning  
Adam and Belle were watching shocked. Ben, Evie, and Jay were amused and shook their hands, FG couldn't help but smile  
Adam: "Why do you eat so fast? It isn't like you are going to starve"  
Mal and Carlos stopped  
It had been cool meeting them, the King and Queen weren't what they had excepted, but that sentence brought to the surface why they hated them. Evie and Jay's magic acted out finally, their eyes started glowing just like Mal and Carlos's were  
Evie's were gold-like, Jay's were red, Mal's were green, Carlos's were an electric blue  
Outside there was a storm, objects in the kitchen started flying around, FG got up worried and tried to comfort the kids. But Mal and Carlos couldn't be reached, they were trapped in their magic. Evie and Jay calmed down after a while, they took Carlos's hand and calmed him  
Mal got up, she stretched a hand towards the King who seemed to be strangled by some kind of invisible force. She was screaming, from the open window, the wind came in and started scratching her  
Ben ran towards her and hugged her  
Everything stopped suddenly  
King Adam fell, Belle and FG reached for him, Evie was crying on the floor and Jay was trying to comfort her, Carlos was watching the wall, Mal was on the ground  
Ben: "It's okay, it's over. You are fine, you are in Auradon now"  
Carlos went where they were and looked at his sister: "The King is fine" he looked over at Adam "I mean... he's scared and he'll probably have some nightmares now but overall fine"  
Ben smiled at him: "See? Everything is fine. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"  
Mal looked at him, she had a long cut on her arm, the one she had used against the King, and a cut on her head: "My head hurts a little"  
FG was there too: "It's probably because you use too much magic, let's go to the infirmary and check those cuts, honey"  
But Mal wasn't letting go of Ben  
Ben: "I'll come with you" he looked at the others "you should get checked too"


	11. Scars

  
They didn't like this, but Ben had insisted, and by the look FG was giving them she would make them go in a way or the other  
FG: "I know"  
The four vks looked at her and then huffed, they were acting like children. Well... all but Evie, she was acting like a mature girl and simply sat on one of the chairs in the room  
Ben was sending Mal loving looks, when his parents entered the room he stopped  
Adam: "I wanted to apologize, FG and Ben told us about the condition of the Isle... I am so very sorry about your childhood"  
Evie and Jay nodded stiffly, Mal and Carlos took a look at him and his wife then turned to FG  
Mal: "So.. what are we waiting for? Visit us as you visited me when Chad hit me"  
The King and Queen were talking to themselves when Chad's name was made and turned to look at Ben, who proceeded to explain the "accident"  
FG: "Nope, not today darlings" she looked at them and a man and a woman entered the room, they had never seen them "They will see you, they are the doctors who visit all the students of the school, Doc isn't here today"  
Mal and Carlos tried to take off, they reached the windows, they looked at each other and nodded. Ben was about to yell at them when Jay took Mal and Carlos by their elbows and made them sit down  
Evie took a look at them and shook her head  
Evie and Jay took a step back to stand behind their younger friends who were glaring at FG  
Mal: "Nope, not happening"  
Carlos: "Yeah, you can't make us do this.. this visit thing"  
Mal: "Yeah"  
FG simply sighed: "If you won't, you will go back to the Isle"  
Evie and Jay nodded  
Evie: "Of course, I suppose it's for the safety of your students and ours too" she looked at Mal and Carlos who were gaping at her "We may have diseases they don't know of and vice-versa"  
Carlos and Mal were ready to fight back then they looked at Jay  
Jay: "We won't let them hurt you"  
Carlos nodded, he trusted Jay, Mal was looking at the doctors threateningly  
Evie: "Jay and I will go first, Carlos and Mal will assist the visit. This way they will be calmer.. also when it's their turn I suggest.." Evie looked at Ben and FG "Ben for Carlos and FG for Mal" The last part being more of a question  
FG and Ben nodded  
Evie's visit ended with Mal growling at the doctor  
Evie and Jay had some scars, clearly had some eating issues, but nothing too serious  
When Carlos took off his clothes, the doctor couldn't help but stare at his scars. He had some bites and burn marks, some scars made by knives. He had at least 4 cuts, 2 from the ankles to the knees, and 2 from the wrists to the elbows. He had some bruises probably caused by Tourney practice. When Ben and Carlos left the visiting room, Evie and Jay knew. He had seen the scars  
Ben looked at them and was about to ask something when they heard a gasp from the other room, the 3 vks stood up quickly  
It had been FG to gasp, she exited the room to go to the bathroom. The Queen went to take the headmistress place but was shocked by what she saw  
Mal was without her t-shirt and her pants and her scars were... awful. There were so many, they intricated to form some kind of design. She still had an open cut on her shoulder, Evie went into the room and closed the door, she looked at her friend's body with empathy and admiration  
Mal's body was.. scarred everywhere, bites and burn marks, scars  
The doctor could see old scars.. made in the same spot at least 10 times.. like someone had tried to kill her repeatedly over the years. Where her heart was someone had carved a broken heart. Her hips were both highly bruised and had a scar on each  
On her back, there were two scars, in the place where faires had wings. Then she had the same 4 scars has Carlos did, 2 in her arms and 2 on her legs, she also had bruises caused by Tourney practice  
Mal: "So what now?" she was getting angry  
Evie: "They will stitch your cuts, won't you doctor?"  
The doctor looked at Evie and then nodded. She took her stuff and approached Mal, who sat down and let the doctor do her job  
Belle was crying silently  
Once the doctor ended her job, she took some notes, Evie helped her when Mal didn't know the answer. Mal put on her clothes and they exited the visiting room to find there FG who seemed to be in shock  
When she saw Mal, she approached her and caressed her face sweetly and gently with a watery smile  
Mal was stunned, Evie's mom had done the same when she had seen her body, but she wasn't used to this kind of touch. She turned to see Carlos almost crying on Jay's shoulder  
Ben was looking at her with something she had never seen before. The King was looking at the Queen who was crying in his embrace  
Evie just nodded at FG who opened her arms and asked a silent question, Mal let FG hug her and something in her heart melted, she closed her eyes for a minute and relaxed


	12. Dogs and Deepest Scars

  
Carlos and Mal were sleeping on the grass over the Tourney Field  
In less than a week, it would be Family Day so all the student had gone to their houses, apart from Jane, Ben, and the vks  
Ben was looking at the younger vks with something like pity, but he couldn't pity them. They had survived something that wasn't possible even in his worst nightmares  
At this point he was sure that Mal was the girl from his dreams, he would have to talk about it with FG later  
But they weren't victims, they were survivors  
And he admired them  
Adam: "Are they always like that?"  
Evie: "Like what?"  
They were having a picnic, Mal and Carlos had eaten everything and fell asleep. The rest of the group was taking their time to eat  
Belle: "Well.. like two puppies" she was shy "I mean.. I didn't mean to say.." but she was interrupted by Jay  
Jay: "They are more like kittens to me but, yeah kind of" He had said it with such an easy tone that the King and Queen relaxed immediately  
Adam: "So.. would you like to tell us about yourself? Nothing you are not comfortable to share of course"  
Belle: "And there is no pressure, you have every right to have privacy but after.." she was looking at Mal now  
Evie: "We understand. But the life Jay and I had on the Isle was very different from the one those two had" she looked in the distance "We were loved, our parents.. they are good now. I think they are even better than some of you now" she quickly glanced at FG "I mean no offense but I think so. They raised us to be us, to love everything we did, to respect the others no matter what their opinion was.. and I can't say I have seen the same here.."  
Ben nodded, he was thinking about Chad  
Jay: "It's not just Chad, you all lived through some bad stuff but overall had your happy ending, then acted like it was nothing and went back to the life you knew... Adam for example, got the chance to redeem himself and you are King now, but my father who was a great consultant never got it... I don't understand"  
The adults looked stunned, these two kids had figured out what was wrong in their kingdom when even they couldn't accept it  
FG: "I think... we didn't take the time to think about it, we locked you up and never looked back"  
Ben: "I looked back"  
Jay and Adam rolled their eyes  
Jay: "Yeah, we know Benny Boo"  
Ben: "Hey! Don't you call me that! I'm your future King!" he was kidding  
Belle and Adam never saw him this relaxed, he was always so concerned about his image as future King  
Jay: "What exactly are you going to do? Throw me back on the Isle?"  
Ben: "Maybe I should"  
Jay: "You know I noticed... that when someone else" he glanced at Mal then at Ben again "calls you Benny Boo you don't seem this angry"  
Ben blushed a bright red  
Then there was a bark  
Evie and Jay looked around concerned  
They heard another bark and then Jane screaming  
Mal and Carlos got up immediately, trying to understand where the danger was coming from  
Mal saw the dog first and shrieked, then yelled "DOGGGG!"  
But before anyone could say anything she and Carlos were running to the woods  
Ben and Jay got up and began to run, Adam, followed them immediately after  
Evie sighed, then turned to the Queen and FG to explain what happened  
To Jay's surprise, Ben and Adam were faster then he thought and outran him soon  
They stopped when they saw Mal and Carlos up on a tree, Jay was having problems breathing but Adam and Ben were fine  
Jay: "How in hell can you run so fast?"  
Adam and Ben looked at him  
Ben: "That is your first question? Why are they on a tree?"  
Jay deadpanned: "My intuition says it has something to do with the dog" and he pointed at it  
Adam looked down and saw Dude, he took him up  
Mal: "Your Majesty with all the respect... ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"  
Carlos nodded: "It's dangerous, you should put that thing down!"  
Adam gave Dude to Ben, climbed the tree, and asked for the dog again  
Adam: "Guys, this is Dude, he is our mascot, he won't hurt you"  
Carlos was hiding behind Mal who was growling at the creature  
Dude looked at Mal and tried to get closer, Mal stilled herself for a bite that never came  
The dog licked her face  
She fell off the tree right in Ben's embrace  
Ben: "Hey Mal"  
Mal: "Hey Benny Boo" she was upset  
Carlos: "Mal, you okay?"  
Mal climbed back and looked again at Dude, then touched it and retreated quickly. She looked at Carlos: "He isn't like Mother's dogs"  
Carlos: "He won't bite?"  
Mal: "Nah, I don't think so" then looked at Adam "also, if the King isn't afraid of it why should we?"  
They got off the tree and began to run like children with the dog  
Adam: "Those two" he was shaking his head  
Jay: "Tell me about it"  
They all had gone back to the picnic, Jane had joined them. Evie seemed relieved to see Mal and Carlos unharmed  
Belle: "Someone wants to talk about what just happened?"  
Evie had told her that Mal and Carlos were terrified of dogs but she couldn't understand why  
Mal: "Our mothers used to torture us both physically and mentally, dogs were one of those little scary things they so loved to talk about... amongst other things..."  
Adam: "You want to tell us what other things they used to do?"  
Carlos looked at Dude and touched him, the dog seemed to like it and licked his hand  
Mal looked at her brother and then at the King: "When we finally managed to escape our mothers, we spent some months in the streets, though we had a place where we could sleep, where Evie and Jay found us and after some convincing they brought us in their house. It was only then that we noticed the difference between good and bad parenting... When we got inside the house Grimhilde and Jafar hugged both Jay and Evie.. they didn't hurt them, they didn't yell, they didn't... They were soft and gentle..." She was looking at the Isle now, touching the spot where the deepest scar was, the one that killed her first. She looked at FG "You know the curse you put on the worst of them? The one that prevents them to truly die?" FG nodded "Apparently it got to the kids too, on the Isle we can't die.. we only know it because I died a few times but I always came back"  
Adam, Belle, FG, and Jane gasped in horror  
Mal: "It was.." she turned to Evie "how do you call it when it's colder?"  
Evie: "Winter"  
Mal: "Winter yes. It was winter the first time I died, one of the coldest nights, I was in my room when I heard Carlos scream... Cruella was watching Maleficent hit him. I ran down the stairs, I knew I shouldn't have.. but I couldn't help it. He is my brother and she was hurting him... I had to do something..." she was reliving the memory, Evie stopped Ben from reaching her, Carlos was looking at the Isle too now "I was 5 years old. I got in front of her and stopped. My eyes lit up for the first time, later on, she told me she was happy about the eyes thing. She stopped hitting him and for a moment I thought that she wasn't angry, I remember it clearly like it was yesterday" she laughed dryly, then stopped "Then I remember the knife in my heart, it wasn't so fast like they tell you... Dying isn't so fast but sincerely I believe it is way easier than living with those two ever was"  
FG, Belle, and Jane were crying  
Jay looked like a statue  
Carlos was silent and then he laughed, Mal joined him soon  
Carlos: "Do you remember when you came back the day after? You walked in and she looked at you and said 'I'm sorry, weren't you dead?' and you said 'It seems like the curse is on me too' and she just nodded and went back to read her stupid spellbook"  
Mal: "Of course I do. I also remember that time Gaston killed me. When a week later he saw me and his son together, he thought I was there to hunt him" she was shaking her head smiling  
Carlos: "Hilarious"  
Jay and Evie didn't seem to find it hilarious  
Belle: "How many kids were killed multiple times?"  
That seemed to stop the laughter  
Evie: "Not all of us can return"  
Adam: "What do you mean?"  
Mal: "I found out later... I didn't know... I thought he would come back" she looked at Ben briefly "He..."  
Jay touched her shoulder: "It isn't your fault Mal, you couldn't know"  
Adam gently got closer to Mal: "It's okay, tell us what happened"  
Mal: "Well you must know how the Isle is divided first, FG can I get a paper and a pencil?"  
FG: "Sure, sweetie, I'll summon those for you"  
Mal proceeded to draw the Isle and divide it into 4 parts, writing down a brief description :  
• The Evil Part, where villains live   
• The SeaSide, where Ursula lives and works   
• The Reformed Part, where good villains stay  
• The Forest, where Hades has a cave...  
She then gave it to the King to watch it, Belle, Ben, FG, and Jane looked over his shoulder  
Mal pointed at the Evil Part: "It was a normal day there when he came to annoy me, he did it all the time, but when he approached me that day I had just escaped our castle.. not the best time to catch me.."  
Carlos: "If you have to tell a story do it right, he downright molested you repeatedly and you were kind enough to not kill him before that day" He had a different view of what happened that day  
Mal looked upset but she kept going: "As I was saying; I had a few drinks the night before, I had left Carlos at an apartment we found the night we ran off, I made sure he was safe and then left to.. chill a little and think when I saw him... I told him to go away but he wouldn't listen. I took a knife and slit his throat and left.. the day after I saw him.. hanging by his feet.. still dead. The Evil Part has some rules, when someone dies like he did it's because he's a pedophile and we don't like pedophilia.. and so went on the tale of the first man who died by the hands of Maleficent's daughter"  
Adam looked horrified: "Who was this man?"  
Mal looked at him: "Gaston's first son, he was 19 when he died... I was 12"  
Adam: "Was he really a pedophile?"  
Evie: "Yes, he was"  
They all turned to look at her, except the vks... Mal was looking at Ben  
Belle: "Did he.. were you..?"  
Evie shook her head: "Jay or dad always saved me from him, but I can say that when the news of his death reached the Reformed Part every little girl I knew was seen walking more relaxed than ever"  
Adam: "Wait for a second... you were drunk?"  
Mal: "Well yeah, what do you expect? I had just escaped my mother, I needed some liquid courage you know"  
Adam: "But you were and you are underage"  
Mal and Carlos looked at him confused  
Adam: "You can't drink alcohol if you are younger than 21 years old"  
Belle: "It can cause brain damage"  
They looked worried  
Mal then seriously looked at them: "I died multiple times"  
They both looked ready to argue when they nodded defeated  
Mal: "Anyway, does it matter if I was drunk?"  
Adam: "You had just escaped your mothers, you were drunk, probably you hadn't slept or eaten"  
Mal interrupted him: "Well no, I had to give my food to Carlos, he was sick"  
Adam: "And then this guy, older than you, who molested you repeatedly comes at you, you were alone"  
Mal: "Carlos had to sleep"  
Adam: "You were defenseless Mal, you were a kid who was in a difficult situation and acted like they were raised to, you are not the one to blame here. I am"  
Everyone was looking at Adam and Mal talking  
Mal whispered: "You are?"  
Adam: "I'm the one responsible for all the misery you had to endure, am I not? It's because of me if you died several times. It's because of me you drink since before you are 12. It's because of me if you had to kill, Mal. If I hadn't left you there... if I had acted the way a right King acts, you would be carefree, happy and still a young girl with hope"  
Mal was looking at him speechless, Carlos got up and approached the King with an expression of solemnity as Mal got up  
They took out their knives and held them like some kind of swords and began to say some kind of vow  
Evie and Jay knew what was happening, they had seen it before, but the Auradonians didn't and had to ask  
Belle: "What are they doing?"  
Evie smiling: "They are promising to try and forgive him"  
Carlos and Mal got up and nodded at Adam who had heard their vows, didn't need to be told what had just happened  
Adam: "Thank you"  
Mal reached for his hand  
Then retracted a little and with a serious look: "We will try to forgive you but if you ever say I'm defenseless again, I will make you suffer"  
They spent the rest of the day talking about happier things


	13. History and Magic

  
It was Monday morning  
Mal and Carlos were wide awake since 4 a.m., relieving the memories wasn't good for them but they were more relaxed  
When Evie and Jay had asked how they felt, their answers surprised them  
Mal: "I don't think I will ever forget that it's his fault what happened, but I will try to forgive him. He at least took responsibility for what he did, he apologized, he proved to us that he cares. He is interested in bringing here other kids and knowing us"  
Carlos: "Yeah, also, he isn't like our mothers described him. And that is a relief. He is a good father, he made a mistake for sure but he didn't force those guys to do what they did.."  
Mal was nodding  
They went to breakfast, they sat at their table like the week before, when someone interrupted them  
Audrey: "Here you are"  
The four looked at her, took a glance at Chad who was near her, and then went back to eat as nothing had happened; they knew Ben was going to show up any minute now  
Chad: "She is talking to you"  
Audrey: "Well.. it seems like the Evil Queen and Jafar raised 4 ungrateful and rude children"  
She was trying to provoke them, but they had endured much worse  
Audrey: "I can honestly say that at least Maleficent would be proud that her daughter was able to..."  
Mal looked at her  
But Ben had arrived, he was behind Audrey listening to what she was saying  
Mal smirked  
Audrey: "Oh you can smile? Nice. But it won't be enough for Ben you know. Let's get back to what I was saying. Maleficent would be proud to know that you spelled my boyfriend to make him break up with me and to, I don't know, ruin everything we love"  
Mal: "She probably would, if I had done it and if I hadn't escaped her Castle 4 years ago. But you are welcome to let her know"  
Chad: "You devil's spawn! How dare you talk to a princess like this? The note that I gave you wasn't enough of a message?"  
Mal scowled, she hadn't told anyone about the note...  
Ben: "What are you talking about Chad? What note?"  
Audrey and Chad hadn't realized that the Prince was there, they turned around to see him right behind them scowling  
Audrey: "Ben, we were looking for you..."  
Ben interrupted her: "Save it. I heard everything"  
Audrey and Chad left. Lonnie, Jane, and Doug came to the table and sat down but Ben was looking at Mal now  
Ben: "What was he talking about?"  
Mal: "It's none of your business, Benny Boo"  
Ben: "It actually is, since Chad is kind of one of my subjects and...  
Mal: "But I'm not, this means you can't make me do anything.. unless.." getting closer to him "How will you make me do what you want Prince Benjamin?" She was flirting with him now  
He blushed  
Carlos and Jay groaned, Evie gasped  
Evie: "Mal, don't you dare act like this here! He's the future King and you must respect him. Apologize now"  
Mal pouted a little, she glanced at Evie then looked down: "Sorry Ben"  
Evie: "Mal"  
Mal: "I'm sorry Ben for acting like that"  
Evie: "And?"  
Mal: "I should have never done that to you"  
Evie was nodding, Mal was pouting, Carlos and Jay were glancing at Mal and Ben  
Then Lonnie interrupted the tension: "What in the name of Fairy Godmother just happened?"  
Evie: "Mal and Carlos, being educated by Maleficent, know some tricks... let's call them like that, to get what they want"  
Jay: "That's an understatement"  
Evie glared at him  
Evie: "Let's go to Remedial Goodness"  
Ben: "We have to come with you, FG asked us to"

* * *

  
  
FG: "Here you are, take a seat please"  
Mal and Jay seated together, Carlos and Evie sat on the other side of the room, Ben and Doug on one side, Jane and Lonnie on the other  
FG: "So dear ones, we have a project, you will be divided into couples:  
\- Mal and Ben  
\- Doug and Evie  
\- Jay and Lonnie  
\- Carlos and Jane  
You will do some research, here is a questionary. You have a week. You can start now, go to the library, use the internet or talk to people. Questions?"  
Mal: "What's the internet?"  
Carlos: "Can we eat it?"  
Evie and Jay groaned at their friend, always thinking about food  
FG: "No, Carlos you cannot eat it. Your partners will explain it to you"  
They all went to the library, they had brought something to eat for the lunch break  
 _Mal and Ben/Carlos and Jane_  
Mal: "Carlos and I already know the stories of our mothers and our father, we can tell you all the dirty secrets"  
Ben sighed and looked up at the sky, asking for help  
Carlos was nodding at Jane  
 _Jay and Lonnie/Evie and Doug_  
Jay and Evie were sitting on the other side of the table with Doug and Lonnie  
Jay: "So we have to talk about our parents' past?"  
Evie: "What about the fact that they are good now?"  
Jay and Evie were upset  
Doug: "We'll talk about their past first and then you can tell us about them now, what do you think? Also, the questions are about their present, you can write about that"  
Evie nodded happily and Doug smiled  
 _Ben and Mal_  
Ben: "Mal, tell me the story of your mother"  
Mal: "Sure, my mother is Maleficent, she was one of the most powerful faires of her land and she fell in love with Stefan. He decided that becoming King was more important than love so he took off her wings. Now my mother is terrible, she wants revenge, and what is the best way to make someone suffer?" she leaned for a moment on the table "But of course, kill their child. 'The best way to take revenge is to hurt what they love the most Mal, this way they will suffer both physically and emotionally. What will Auradon do when we will corrupt their loved ones?' That is what she always said. You people here are so focused on love, you don't understand how it weakens you all. Watching someone you love die is the worst thing that can happen to you" she was watching outside the window  
Ben was watching her intensely: "You say it like you have experience"  
Mal: "The mind is one of the most beautiful and fearful places of all time" She hadn't answered  
Ben: "Nice quote"  
Mal turned to look at him: "Well thank you very much, Prince Benny Boo"  
She smirked and he sighed  
 _Carlos and Jane_  
Carlos: "So my mother.. she is insane. She went after dogs because she wanted some new coats. What you don't know is that on the Isle she killed some kids and tried to make some coats. Spoiler Alert: it didn't work out. Also, apparently, some parents want their kids alive"  
Jane freaked out: "Kids?"  
Carlos: "Yes, kids, Jane. I know, awful." He was talking about it like it was normal, it was for him anyway  
Jane whispered: "Carlos... did she ever tried to kill you?"  
Carlos raised an eyebrow: "Of course. But Mal killed her first" he tilted his head towards his sister  
Jane looked at Mal and smiled: "She is very protective of you, huh?"  
Carlos hummed his approval: "It is because of dad"  
Jane was curious about their relationship: "What do you mean?"  
Carlos: "Hades made sure that I was always fine and safe, Mal saw that since she was little and so she did it too"  
Jane: "When was the last time you talked to you father?"  
Carlos looked thoughtful for a moment and hummed: "Mal! When was the last time we talked to dad?"  
Mal who was talking to Ben turned to him: "I think it was.. when it's very warm"  
Carlos exasperated: "Summer, for the love of Gothel, it's called summer"  
Everyone but Mal and Carlos laughed at that  
Mal: "Yeah yeah"  
Jane noticed something: "You call him dad. Do you have a good relationship with him?"  
Carlos: "It's complicated... you know since he is our father.. he left us but he also helped us when Harry.."  
Mal interrupted: "Don't you dare Carlos De Vil, or I'll make you regret it" she was growling  
Carlos looked at Mal for a second, then turned to look at Jane: "He helped us when we needed him"  
Jane nodded: "I'd tell you about my mother but I guess you know it already"  
Carlos: "Yep, Grimhilde loved to talk about your mother, but tell me your version"  
Jane blushed a little at his look of sincere interest  
 _Evie and Doug_  
Evie sighed sadly: "You already know the story, Doug"  
Doug: "I don't know your version"  
Evie: "She went crazy when she saw that her husband loved his daughter more than he loved her. When he died she lost it.. and almost killed Snowwhite.. she regrets it every day... Then your family killed her"  
Doug looked shameful: "Sorry about that"  
Jay intervened: "Not forgiven"  
 _Jay and Lonnie_  
Lonnie: "So Jafar, tell me about him"  
Jay: "Sure. He was a consultant when he decided that the sultan sucked at his job, he tried to steal it. Almost killed a bunch of people. Now he is on the Isle"  
Lonnie sarcastically: "Try to not give me too many details"  
Jay scoffed: "I'm sorry I don't like talking about how unfair the story of my father is. He made a big mistake sure, but he changed, nonetheless he is stuck on that awful Isle. While others who have done wrong stuff got forgiven and now live in Castles"  
Lonnie couldn't disagree with him: "Wanna hear my parents' story?"  
Jay: "I already know it. We grew up hearing about what your mother did. But sure, do tell"  
Lonnie was surprised and smiled happily  
 _Mal and Ben_  
They weren't talking about the research anymore  
Mal: "You noticed how love is the reason why the bad people went evil?"  
Ben: "It's not like that"  
Mal: "Isn't it? My mother was betrayed by her first love, Grimhilde didn't get enough love from her husband, also Hades didn't get any from is family" She stopped and looked at her hands "Love is a weapon"  
Ben frowned: "Love is the most powerful thing we can find"  
Mal looked at him in the eyes: "The definition of weapon"  
Ben rolled his eyes, but he had to agree with that, love was indeed very powerful  
Carlos looked at everyone: "You didn't explain the internet thing"  
Doug went on to explain everything to him, the vks seemed sincerely interested and fascinated  
Jay: "Nice"  
Mal nodded. They went to dinner and then Lonnie noticed something  
It was still pretty warm and the vks being used to colder weather were wearing t-shirts, Mal and Carlos's scars were visible  
Lonnie had to ask: "I'm sorry if I annoy you, you don't have to answer my question"  
Evie seemed worried by their new friend's expression: "What is it, Lonnie?"  
Lonnie: "What are those?" she was looking and pointing at the scars that ran on both the arms of Carlos and Mal  
The siblings froze, they looked at their arms.. after what had happened yesterday they had forgotten that here people didn't have this type of scars  
Jay looked at them, then at Lonnie and he was about to explain when Evie started sobbing  
Evie: "I'm sorry... it's just too much, too fast and I have to go" She got up and ran to their room  
Carlos and Mal were looking at her, Jay excused himself and went after his sister  
Doug wanted to follow but he realized he didn't know what to say, he looked at Mal and Carlos  
Lonnie was starting to apologize when Mal interrupted: "None of that. We forgot that here it's unusual to have these kinds of scars.. and Evie, she is too sweet for her own good" she touched her arms "we will explain it, just not here, okay?"  
Lonnie nodded  
Ben tried to make sure Mal was okay: "You don't have to"  
Mal: "Yes, we do. The entire school should know what our mothers are capable of.. you don't seem to realize how much you underestimate what you have. Parents, food, a school, friends, doctors, a house... You guys are so naive.." she was getting angry  
Carlos put a hand on her shoulder to calm her: "Let's finish dinner and then we can go to our room and we will explain"  
Mal didn't seem to agree: "If we go to our dorm, Evie..."  
Ben shrugged: "We can go to mine"  
Mal and Carlos nodded  
Doug frowned confused: "But we can't"  
Ben: "Oh right.. about that.. don't tell anyone but..." he seemed embarrassed   
Mal smiled: "What did you do Benny Boo?"  
Ben blushed scarlet: "I had no choice"  
Mal laughed evilly: "Already heard this excuse, try again"  
Ben: "Fine... I lied"  
Mal and Carlos were surprised  
Carlos: "Now this is a King I can respect"  
Mal nodded her approval  
Doug seemed confused: "Why?"  
Ben: "He wouldn't stop talking about it"  
Ben seemed so upset that Mal stopped laughing  
Mal: "Who bothered you?"  
Carlos: "We can make him regret it" he was serious too  
Mal and Carlos had agreed that they wouldn't talk about the dreams but Ben was one of them now and they protected their family  
Ben chuckled: "Lovely of you guys, but you would be in trouble"  
Mal looked ready to beat someone up: "Who? Just give me the name"  
Ben: "Chad"  
Mal started growling and her eyes were glowing, Carlos looked around the cafeteria searching for Chad when he found him both of them got up  
Ben got up first and he was in front of them: "Stop it"  
Mal: "But he is annoying and a pain in the ass"  
Ben and Jane looked shocked  
Ben: "Mal, that language is not allowed here"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "For the love of Zeus, he needs to learn a lesson, and who's best than the children of Hades?" she smirked  
Carlos: "She is right. Also, he is a pain in the ass to everybody"  
Doug: "I mean... they aren't wrong"  
Ben looked at him: "Doug! Not helping here"  
Mal was about to go to Chad but Ben grabbed her hands and pulled her, she didn't expect him to be so strong and ended up in Ben's arms, Mal looked up and it was like time had stopped, she could feel Ben's heartbeat and Ben could feel her breathing  
They were looking in each other's eyes  
Then Carlos reached her in her mind _People are staring at Mal_  
Mal snapped out of it, she took a step back and was angry again: "Don't you touch me like that again Prince Benjamin or your reign won't have heirs" her voice was low and intimidating  
The students went back to their dinner, Mal and Carlos sat down  
Ben sat with Doug, trying not to think about having Mal in his arms.. he was failing miserably  
Doug: "So... what were we talking about?" He could feel the tension  
Carlos: "We were talking about how Chad is a pain in the ass and that Ben the future King, who will need heirs," he glanced at Mal "lied"  
Lonnie and Jane nodded  
Ben: "Chad wanted to throw a party in my room, I told him you all couldn't enter because I'm the future King and for safety rules"  
Carlos looked disappointed: "Well... I was expecting more drama but I guess you are who you are"  
Mal: "Well then, let's go and talk about happy stuff like our scars in the King's bedroom, shall we?" But she and Carlos froze  
Carlos: "Let's wait a little bit more, Jane eat more slowly. Doug, for the love of Hell, stop looking like you did something wrong. Lonnie, you have something in your face. Ben, just stop looking at Mal right now" He had said it calmly and in a low tone, but there was a warning there  
Ben whispered: "What's wrong?"  
Mal: "Prince Pain in The Ass and Princess I Can Do Whatever, are planning something"  
Jane and Lonnie chuckled at the nicknames  
Doug: "How do you know?"  
Mal: "Jane would hear it too if only her mother had told her how"  
Jane was shocked, then seemed to realize something: "Fairy hearing" she stopped eating and started listening, her eyes seemed to glow  
Jane gasped, Carlos was shaking his head and Mal seemed just stunned  
Ben: "Why would she do that?"  
They all turn to look at him, then Mal realized: "Right, his father was a Beast"  
Mal: "I'll explain it to you, my dear Beasty Boy. She is convinced that she loves you and she thinks you love her, but the most important thing here is that she earnestly wants to be a Queen; you see now why she would do that?"  
Jane and Carlos were nodding  
Lonnie: "Listen, superheroes squad, what is Audrey going to do?"  
Mal looked at her: "She wants to hurt someone and make it look like I did it. She thinks that Ben is spelled to love me because I want to rule the world. In her mind Carlos is my lover, Jay and Evie are evil and are lovers too. FYI her mind is intense and wrong and also... incest is wrong on the Isle...you know if I were still evil.." she was lost in thoughts, Carlos shook her out of it "Right, sorry, thoughts. That's it. Now... what should we do with that little bitch?"  
Ben was about to tell her to stop with the bad language  
Jane: "Mal.. what if we just talk about it with my mother?"  
Mal seemed to come out of a daydream: "Right... Auradon.. yeah I guess it would be better"  
She looked at Carlos, who nodded: "A chance to be good"  
Mal: "Fine Beautiful Jane, let's go and talk to your mommy"  
Jane blushed  
Ben: "Wait a second" they turned to look at him "so Jane asks you to not do something and you accept, but if I ask you, you growl like a demon?"  
Mal got near him, she caressed his face gently, with only the tip of her fingers. Ben noticed that her hand was cold like ice, he froze: "That is because Jane here is lovely. You on the other hand..." and she got away  
Carlos rolled his eyes and went to shake Ben: "Yeah I know, you like her but get a grip buddy"  
Ben was shocked, Doug laughed and they followed the girls to FG's office  
Mal looked amused, then she heard something she didn't seem to like  
Carlos: _He really likes you, Mal.. he may even love you_  
Mal looked at him: _He doesn't know what love is... I don't know what love is_  
Carlos rolled his eyes: _Of course, you do. You love him. You have loved him for years now..._  
Jane was looking at them: "You can hear each other's thoughts?"  
Mal: "Yes, we can, Fairy Jane. I can assure you it is a curse to be able to hear his thoughts.. he is not very smart"  
Carlos laughed loudly  
FG opened the door: "Hey, did you need something?" She saw Jane "Hey dear one, is everything all right?"  
Then they heard a scream  
Mal and Carlos froze, Ben saw it  
Ben: "FG, go see what happened, we can talk later or tomorrow"  
FG nodded, watching worriedly Mal and Carlos, the three of them already knew what had happened  
He approached them: "Hey guys, it's okay. You are safe"  
Mal looked terrified: "She knows"  
Ben was confused now: "Who is she? What does she know?"  
Evie and Jay came running and hugged Mal and Carlos, they were watching them and making sure they were okay  
Evie: "Are you all right?"  
Jay: "We heard you screaming"  
Ben, Doug, Lonnie, and Jane were confused  
Ben: "They didn't scream"  
Evie and Jay turned around  
Evie: "Mal was screaming.. we.. we heard her"  
Jay: "It was like when Maleficent..."  
Jay and Evie understood and said at the same time: "She knows"  
Ben was getting angrier, Mal was upset, she was afraid of something and he couldn't help her... then he remembered something that happened long ago...: "Maleficent"  
Mal looked at him, straight in the eyes and he saw pure terror, only one person could make her this afraid but her glance seemed to soften when it landed on him  
Mal: "She knows we" she glanced at Carlos "are here. She is upset"  
Jane: "But how do you know?"  
Mal looked at her and smiled softly, she approached her gently, she put her hands on Jane's shoulder: "Close your eyes. Feel your magic, feel it in your veins, in your heart. Now listen carefully"  
When Jane opened her eyes they were glowing a light blue, her face a mask of horror  
FG came back: "Mal, honey, your mother.."  
Mal: "I know. Sorry, but I helped Jane woke up her magic"  
FG: "It's okay. I was going to put her on our magic lessons anyway"  
Ben: "Who screamed?"  
Mal, Jane, Carlos, and FG answered at the same time: "Magic"  
Evie looked at Ben: "What is going on? How did you know it was Maleficent? Mal?" Mal looked at her "Why does he know?"  
Mal seemed tired, she looked at FG who seemed to understand  
FG: "All right, it's getting late. Doug and Lonnie, you go to sleep, I'm sure your friends will tell you everything tomorrow"  
Doug and Lonnie waved and left  
FG: "You come inside with me. Mal and Jane sit down, please. Ben calm down, I'll call your parents. Evie and Jay, you will receive answers"  
Mal and Jane sat down  
Mal was exhausted, she had tried to leave her mother behind, she had tried to forget, she had tried to ignore the pull towards Ben... but she couldn't anymore. Carlos was beside her, he took her hand and she felt better  
Evie and Jay were pacing  
Jane looked afraid and excited at the same time: "So now I have magic?"  
FG was on the phone, Mal being the only one who could answer, told her: "You always had it.. but now you can use it properly. If you had tried to touch your mother's wand without awakening it... it would have ended up bad.. for you and whoever close to you at the moment"  
Jane nodded: "It is so..."  
Carlos: "Weird?"  
Jane looked at him: "Yeah.. you have magic too, from your father right?"  
Mal and Carlos didn't want to answer her question... it was complicated  
Carlos: "Kinda"  
FG: "We are going to the Castle, it's safer. Go grab a jacket. We will meet in the garden"  
5 minutes later they were in the limousine  
10 minutes later they were at the Castle  
Belle and Adam were in the living room, Belle was on one of the armchairs and Adam was pacing back and forth  
When they saw the kids enter, Adam and Belle went to Ben and asked him if he was okay, he nodded and sat down  
Mal strangely was looking at him, she sat near him, they looked in each other's eyes, Ben smiled and she tried to smile too, he nodded  
Everyone in the room, besides Carlos and FG, were shocked  
Adam: "Can someone please explain why Magic suddenly can scream?"


	14. Twins

  
Adam: "Can someone explain to me why magic scream?  
FG: "Well it's kind of complicated... let's sit down"  
Everyone sat down, Belle was watching her son and Mal carefully  
FG: "Let's start at the beginning, shall we? Mal, you seem to know a lot about magic"  
Mal: "Yes, Mother explained everything to us"  
FG: "Us?"  
Mal pointed at Carlos  
FG: "Right.. can you explain your magic?"  
Mal: "My magic is similar to the one of Mother.. here's the thing. You all bunch of good people expected to put her on the Isle without magic and for it to be forever. Magic can't be tamed, it's wild.. and one day it got back to her. It was night-time when she felt it.. it had been 4 years since the war, being locked there for 4 years didn't help her mental state. She was living with Cruella at the time, they are.. they are together kind of. She had a fling with Hades but nothing too serious. When that night magic came back, she went even crazier.. she spent the rest of the year to learn it all over, she found a curse. She was determined to have twins, a daughter, and a son, they would be more powerful than she was. She needed a man, she had Hades. The thing about this curse is that she needed two mothers.. so she picked Cruella and herself"  
Evie, Jay, and Carlos were the only ones who didn't look shocked  
Mal: "We aren't born out of love or lust. We are born out of magic. That means that we are.."  
FG: "You are made of magic.." she was watching them like they were divinities  
Mal nodded: "Also, our Father.."  
FG: "Oh my magic! You are both magic and gods.."  
Carlos and Mal both nodded  
Mal: "Since we were born inside the dome though our magic was controlled, it literally burned us down.. not funny really. That is why we are good at sports, we needed something to help us... but I also experienced dreams.."  
Adam and Belle looked at her with wonder and hope  
Adam: "You are her"  
Mal was confused  
Belle was smiling: "Finally, we have been waiting for you for almost 13 years"  
FG: "These dreams were with Ben?"  
Mal: "Yes"  
FG: "So you are her.. it doesn't matter now"  
Belle and Adam didn't seem to agree with her  
FG: "Your dreams helped you?"  
Mal nodded: "He saved me... well he saved us. The night Carlos and I escaped I saw him and he showed me what to do... he doesn't know I suppose" she looked at Ben who smiled and interrupted  
Ben: "Oh I remember, I was 13 years old, I was having a cold like never before and I fainted. You needed me so I helped"  
Mal: "You know? Wait, you knew?"  
Ben nodded  
Mal: "Prince Benny Boo, you will be punished"  
Ben laughed loudly  
FG: "Mal"  
Mal: "Yeah so.. I told you about my first victim but I knew Maleficent and Cruella couldn't die so I killed a few times.. funny times" she smiled "Anyway, he told me that my mother and Cruella were... having fun in Mother's room. I went there, I took a bow and some arrows and killed them. Carlos was sleeping, I woke him up, we packed everything we needed and left" she smiled at Carlos "Ben helped us find the apartment, he helped me make it safe with magic. Then he was gone"  
FG, Adam, and Belle seemed to realize something  
FG: "Wait a second... Cruella and Maleficent were having fun?"  
Mal: "Oh sorry, how can I say it? I'll just say it, I don't know how you explain it here. They were having sex"  
Adam looked ready to puke  
Belle: "You were 12 years old and you knew about sex?  
The vks mood changed  
Mal: "I know about sex since I'm 5 years old"  
Jay: "Can we not talk about it?"  
The adults seemed to understand and looked pale as a ghost  
Belle: "I'm sorry"  
Mal: "It's fine.." she took a deep breath "So yeah... that's it"  
FG: "The curse.. what does it implies for you?"  
Mal: "I read it so many times.." she looked at the fire "We will have magic, we will be more powerful than our Mother. Since we were born on the Isle if we were to die we would come back, the magic that was in us hurt us, we couldn't use so it burned... Maleficent thought that through physical pain magic would be released and so one day..." she couldn't talk about without feeling the pain  
Carlos put a hand on Mal's shoulder: "One day when we were like.. 7 years old, we came back home. It was a normal day, we had seen our dad at school and talked to him a bit but other than that nothing weird happened. Our dad gave us something to eat.. I think he cares for us truly... anyway, we were at home. Cruella asked us if we had found anything to eat, we gave her everything we had, then we went to our room.. when Maleficent came to fetch us... she brought us to the darkroom"  
Mal and Carlos both looked like statues through the story, but when Carlos nominated the room they both shivered  
Mal: "It's where she used to bring to torture us, we were born there... I think we were conceived there. A lot of our days were spent there. Since she slept during the day, we slept too... when the night came we were awake... there is something magical about torturing your children in the same room where magic came back to you, right? She is insane" she shook her head  
Adam: "I don't quite understand how you are siblings"  
Mal smiled at him: "It is confusing"  
Carlos: "What do you teach here about sex?"  
There was silence, the vks rolled their eyes  
Carlos: "Of course, but I hope you will change that unless you want heir sooner than later"  
Mal: "Anyhow, Maleficent put the curse on herself, Cruella and Hades. Do you know how three people can have sex at the same time? That's what happened"  
Jane was confused: "Three people at the same time?"  
Carlos was about to explain but then changed his mind: "Your mother will explain it to you"  
Mal: "So.. Benny Boo, do you have questions?"  
Ben rolled his eyes at the nickname but was blushing: "Stop it with the nickname"  
Mal: "Or you'll do what?"  
Ben: "I'll find a nickname for you.." then he remembered "no wait, I have it already"  
Carlos: "You can't call her Vio" he was a little jealous of his sister  
Ben was smiling, he shook his head: "When we were sharing dreams when we were children I came up with a nickname for her"  
Mal was confused.. then she remembered: "Don't you dare"  
Ben: "Or you'll do what, Lily Love?"  
Mal groaned, Carlos was laughing, he fell on the floor, Evie giggled, and Jay was smiling a little  
Carlos: "Lily Love? Oh My Hell, I love it. Wait till I tell dad about it"  
Mal: "You won't. Or ill tell someone about something you thought today"  
Carlos stopped laughing, his mood changed: "You wouldn't"  
Mal: "Let's go back to more awful memories"  
FG stopped smiling: "What happened that day?"  
Mal: "We got these scars" she was pointing at the scars she shared with Carlos  
Carlos: "It's gonna get dark. She had this kind of knife attached to the wall, there were of them on one side and 4 on the other, she told us to go inside and go on either side of the room. Mal was near the window and I was near the door. my magic was more dormant than mal's so she put her in first, she put the knives on the length of her arms and legs: one end towards the elbow and the other towards the wrist, the same on the other arm; then the legs, one end towards the knee and the other towards the ankle, the same on the other leg. Mal shrugged, it was her way to tell me it didn't hurt so I calmed down a little, then Maleficent came to me and did the same thing. When we realized we couldn't move, we looked at her confused. I remember it like it was yesterday.. she said 'Now it will hurt, you are allowed to scream this time' Then she pulled a lever and it was... hell. The knives seemed determined to cut through our flesh to get to the wall.."  
He remembered the pain, the screams, his and Mal's. He remembered being unable to do anything but feel the pain. Mal was inside the memory  
Belle sobbed: "Why?"  
Mal: "She wanted to see if our magic would act if we could get out..." her voice was dead  
FG: "What happened next?"  
Mal: "Carlos fainted, my mind retreated... now that I think about it maybe it was our magic that saved us" she looked at Carlos "You fainted really quickly, almost like" she snapped her fingers to make him understand  
Carlos: "Maybe"  
Mal turned to look at the others: "Questions?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there  
> I wanted to ask you guys what do you about the story  
> So I'm here to resume a little  
> Mal and Carlos are brothers, they are born out of magic; the curse Maleficent used implies that there need to be two mothers and one father  
> That means that:  
> -Carlos and Mal magic is the same  
> -Carlos isn't exactly Cruella son  
> -Hades knows about the curse, he left them, yes, but he never actually hurt them he is almost like King Adam. Sometimes they would see him. He knows his kids are in Auradon thanks to Grimhilde and Jafar  
> Ben and Mal: They have true love, but this doesn't that Mal will stop being her usual self. Mal grew up on the Isle, she is fierce, she isn't going to become the perfect princesses just because the media asks for it  
> Ben and Mal dreams: They work weirdly. Like I wrote in the latest chapter when Mal wanted to escape Ben helped her, he showed her where to go and what to do, his presence gave her enough strength to use magic  
> We will see other memories  
> Evie and Jay: They didn't know about the dreams but they will eventually  
> Jane: She is going to use her magic and she will be powerful. I don't like it when they cancel the magic out of characters. FG is going to help her daughter with it  
> Carlos and Jay: Sorry for all the Jaylos fans but I sincerely prefer to see them as brothers in this story  
> Few facts:  
> Jay and Evie are almost 17 years old like Ben, Doug, Jane, and Lonnie  
> Carlos and Mal are 16, they were born during the summer  
> Jay and Evie were born during the winter  
> Since Mal and Carlos are younger they should be in different classes but they won't because... well I'm the writer, am I not?  
> If you have other questions ask me  
> Bye guys hope you are well


	15. You Hurt Me

Mal: "Questions?"  
Adam: "Magic screams?"  
Mal: "Oh right. Yes, Magic screams but it isn't like a person. It's not as if I scare Ben and he yells. Magic screams when someone powerful suffers or is angry"  
Belle: "I guess that someone powerful is your Mother" she was looking at both Carlos and Mal who nodded  
Adam was still confused  
Carlos smiled: "We grew up knowing everything about the curse, so it's like we both have 2 mothers kind of. I mean..." he turned to Mal "it is way weirder when you tell it to someone who doesn't know Maleficent"  
Mal laughed: "I know"  
Mal looked at Adam: "I was born from Maleficent and Carlos from Cruella... let's see... It's like we are walking down the same street, we take two different paths and then we meet again on the same street"  
Adam was less confused and nodded  
Mal: "So back to magic. Maleficent finds out that we are here and she is angry... I hope Hades..." she looked at Carlos who was worried  
Carlos: "We have to get back if she gets him or.." then he turned to Evie and Jay  
Mal: "Grimhilde and Jafar are safe, she doesn't know we lived with them and she won't go to the Reformed Part... I can only hope Hades isn't in the Forest..." she was trying to look calm but her voice betrayed her worries in the end  
Ben: "Is Hades in danger?"  
Mal: "Nah he is a psycho like my mother... the problem is they can get a little bit violent with each other and the last time..."  
Carlos: "Enough. We are going back"  
Mal: "Sure, Puppy, let's go back to Mother, she will be so happy to know that not only we are in Auradon but we are 'good' now, that we forgave the King and Queen and that I admitted to sharing dreams with him" she was pointing at Ben now  
Carlos was angry, his eyes glowed: "Then what do you suggest Vio? We stay here and do nothing? He Is Our Father"  
Mal's eyes were glowing, her hair was floating and outside there was a storm: "HE LEFT US WITH THEM! I DIED BECAUSE OF HIM!" she yelled in a mix of pain and anger  
There was a screech, Magic had reacted to Mal's agony. It also seemed that Magic fueled Mal's pain and anger as she started a fight with Carlos  
Mal: "I'm sick of you trying to defend him, Carlos. He left us. He left and I was the only one there to protect you." She was upset, she seemed on the verge of crying "I died for you, I took all the responsibilities for you, I killed for you... I... I was a kid just like you Carlos and yet I was the one who fed you, who calmed you down, who took care of you. I was a kid. I'm your sister. Try to see how you defending him is hurting me" She was crying now  
Nobody had ever seen Mal cry  
Carlos was shocked: "Vio... I'm.."  
Mal: "Don't De Vil. Do whatever. In any case, I will be the one to recollect the pieces of your heart like always, right? Go and save your father. But remember this. One day you will look back and I won't be there anymore" And with that, she was gone  
The scream of Magic could be heard again  
Carlos fell on his knees, Jay was there to hug him  
Evie: "I'm sorry you had to hear that... She doesn't like Hades" she smiled a little "She never actually said anything... I probably should go get her..."  
Ben: "I think I should go"  
Evie looked at him: "Right.. sharing dreams. Ben, I know her since..."  
Ben: "I know her since I'm 8, and I've shared dreams and fears with her. Believe me. I know" He went after Mal. He found her near his mother's garden, she was on the grass looking up at the sky, crying freely  
Mal: "I think it's the first time I cry in real life"  
Ben: "I know"  
She huffed  
Ben: "Can I join you?"  
Mal looked at him: "It is your mother's garden" She nodded and patted the area near her  
Ben sat next to her: "How are you?"  
Mal: "I never said those things to anyone else.. and I think I should have done it before... how is he?"  
Ben: "Jay and Evie are taking care of him..." she was upset... he wanted to change the subject "Here is where you always used to come, in our dreams, when you did something you regretted.. so if it isn't telling Carlos how you feel.. what is it?"  
Mal: "I don't hate Hades... I mean the dude left us with those psychos sure.. but he never hurt us... well not willingly. When he was still Maleficent's lover he would always take good care of Carlos... I was never allowed to be alone with him but when Carlos came back home he never had a scratch.. he cared... he cares... He may even love us"  
Ben smiled: "I'm sure he does" She hadn't answer directly but he had understood her  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Mal: "So... what does it mean that you were waiting for me?" She turned to look at him properly  
Ben: "When I was 4 years old FG checked me to see if I had any curses on, you know because of my father, and she tracked down something"  
Mal seemed worried, she sat down to look at him better: "What is it?"  
Ben was looking at the stars, then he looked at her and smiled: "True Love"  
Mal gasped, she quickly got up but she fell backward  
Ben was laughing now: "Oh my. Your face. Priceless"  
Mal: "You must be joking"  
Ben: "Nope. 'He will dream of her and they will meet' "  
Mal: "Dream?" she was panicking  
Ben nodded: "Don't worry about it, I don't expect you to love me just because, okay? We will keep living our life. If it is True Love, then it is what it is"  
Mal seemed to relax immediately at his words and nodded  
Ben: "You feel better?"  
Mal just nodded  
Ben: "We should go back inside"  
He got up and offered her a hand to help her, she smiled and took it. He was surprised by this. Then she smirked and pulled him down, he fell on the mud. He heard her laugh, he sat down and looked at her with his best scowl  
Mal: "Aww you look so intimidating Benny Boo, I'll have nightmares"  
He picked a handful of mud and threw it at her, she gasped  
Mal: "Benny Boo how dare you? I'm your True Love"  
They both laughed happily. They got up and started to go to the Castle, Mal used magic to clean them but left a bit of mud on Ben's hair

* * *

  
In the Castle- living room  
Evie was pacing, Carlos had calmed down and was sipping tea, Jay was looking at the fire, Adam and Belle were holding hands, FG and Jane were talking when Ben and Mal entered the living room  
Lumiere had giggled at Ben and Mal had smiled at him  
Adam: "Finally"  
Evie: "Mal, are you okay?"  
Belle was confused: "Ben, what do you have on your hair?"  
Ben looked confused, he reached to his hair only to find mud, he looked Mal with accusation in his eyes, she just smiled  
Mal: "That's mud. I'm fine, Evie" then she looked at Carlos who resembled a lost puppy now more than ever, she went to him and got on her knees "I'm sorry Puppy. I lost it. I just started thinking about going back to Mother and all those memories... I shouldn't have yelled at you... will you forgive me?"  
Carlos didn't reply, he hugged her tightly and he whispered comforting words to her  
Evie looked at Ben: "Sorry Ben, I should apologize too. I shouldn't have to treat you like that... but like Mal said I lost it.. thinking of them with Maleficent again..." she shivered "I'm sorry really, also..she is kinda my sister and knowing you share dreams was shocking"  
Ben nodded: "It's okay. It was a stressful situation for all of us"  
Jay went to him: "You hurt Mal, you die. Understood?"  
Ben seemed sincerely worried: "I would never hurt her, but if I do I will accept any punishment you shall think necessary"  
Jay laughed: "I won't do anything. Did you not see what she did before? That girl needs no man, she will kill you with her bare hands, I was just warning you"  
Evie rolled her eyes, Ben started laughing with Jay  
Mal: "Now Puppy let's think about what to do with Mother and how to help... Hades, okay?"  
Carlos: "You sure?"  
Mal: "It doesn't matter what happened to me, he always treated you right and he made sure nobody hurt you.. and with Harry... he helped me too. So now let's help that son of a God and then kick Mother's ass, shall we?"  
Carlos laughed: "We shall"


	16. Memories

  
_Mal was pacing back and forth_   
_Carlos was trying to stay calm: "We have to hurry. Where do we go?"_   
_Mal: "Shhh... I'm trying to focus" she seemed to be listening to someone_   
_He waited and then he followed her down the streets. It was raining that night_   
_Carlos: "Why tonight? I'm not complaining you know... but..."_   
_Mal: "Because he said so, he said it was our chance Puppy" she seemed so upset_   
_Carlos: "The Prince?"_   
_Mal just nodded, she hadn't spoken about her dreams for months now_   
_Carlos: "I trust you Vio, I'll follow you everywhere, but why don't we go to Dad?"_   
_Mal: "They will go there immediately.. you know he doesn't like me" she was spiraling now_   
_Carlos: "Vio, he loves you, you are his daughter. He would protect you"_   
_Mal's eyes glowed: "It doesn't matter. We find an apartment and we stay there"_   
_They found the apartment, Carlos was too tired he had caught a cold, Mal went to get some food._   
_She used her magic, Maleficent wouldn't be able to find them_   
_Carlos: "Is he still here?"_   
_Mal shook her head, she was sad now_   
_Carlos looked at his sister with admiration, here she was, 12 years old and she had managed to do so much more than anyone they knew... she didn't deserve to be on this Isle... if only she could accept their father... it didn't matter, he owned her his life.. also she was his sister_   
_Mal looked at him: "Sleep, you need to rest" she was worried because of the Cold_   
_That year the Cold had killed too many kids to count and a few adults... they hadn't come back_   
_Carlos: "You know I can come back"_   
_Mal: "No, I don't and I surely won't find out. You will get better or I'll kill you"_

Carlos and Mal were in front of the fire, he was sleeping and she was watching the fire  
Ben approached them: "You okay?"  
Mal nodded: "Memories are hunting sometime"  
Adam: "You want to talk about it?"  
She looked at Adam: "I was reliving the night we left Maleficent's Castle..." she proceeded to tell the story

* * *

  
FG: "I'm sorry honey"  
Mal: "It's okay I guess..." She had told them about the Cold, Belle seemed worried and asked her about it  
Mal: "Evie told me you have it here too. In Auradon I imagine nobody ever died of cold, right?"  
Belle shook her head: "I mean the elders, they are more at risk but..."  
Mal looked at Evie, she was too tired  
Evie: "On the Isle, you already know there are 4 parts... the thing is, with the passing of years evil people became good, and the Isle kind of accepted it. It seemed like the Isle knew. The Forest accepted Hades, the Sea Part accepted Ursula, and her way of living, Ursula isn't good or evil. The Reformed Part is the best one, we see the sun sometimes even" she smiled daydreaming "But the Evil Part... it's just death in the air"  
Belle: "Could you explain more?"  
Evie: "Sure. I'll explain the parts I've seen. Ursula's part is quite good, the Reformed Part is the best. It's quite like Auradon really. The food we get isn't the best, the living situation is as best as it can be while living on an Isle full of villains. The kids are protected in these two parts, nobody can hurt them. Uma, Ursula's daughter, is vicious when it comes to people hurting kids, she is 19 years old now and when Harry attacked Mal.." she stopped suddenly  
Mal turned to her so fast Ben was afraid she had hurt her neck, her eyes full of anger and pain  
Evie: "Mal... I'm sorry... I was just so into the memory.."  
Ben: "What did Harry do to you?" he was angry  
Mal looked at him, and for a moment she saw Harry again, his face so close to hers, the hatred... Her eyes started glowing on their own, she was about to tackle Ben  
Evie saw it happening: "Mal!"  
Jay got near Mal and shook her by the shoulders  
Mal snapped out of it: "Sorry"  
Jay looked at Ben: "We won't talk about Harry" he looked at Evie "Stop with these stories" he looked at the Auradon adults "Stop with the questions, we need to sleep"  
Adam, Belle, and FG nodded  
Adam: "We didn't mean to.."  
Jay interrupted: "Yeah yeah I know. You didn't mean a lot of stuff, but let me tell you something. We lost people, these two" he pointed at Mal and Carlos, who was awake now "survived the two worst people I ever heard about and they are the most wonderful people I know and you don't deserve them! You all should learn from them, from us, from any kid that lived on the Isle, from any person who changed on the Isle. Because guess what? You all sat in your beautiful castles while we died" He was getting angry, Mal and Carlos were a mess because of Auradon. He turned to Mal: "You were right.. we should have just stayed on the Isle"  
Mal looked at him, she knew him, she hugged him and Jay started crying, he was missing his parents, he was missing the life he knew, his friends.. she started patting his back  
Mal glanced at Adam: "We do need a night of sleep"  
Adam nodded: "You can sleep here, we have a lot of rooms..." he cringed "Sorry"  
Mal: "One room is enough"  
FG explained to the Rulers that they were used to sleep together  
Ben: "Why don't you sleep with me?"  
Mal smirked: "You wanna try something wild, Benny Boo?"  
Ben: "Mal stop it! For the love of everything good and beautiful!" he was tomato red  
The adults laughed  
Jay was calmer and looked at Ben: "Thanks Ben, let's go to your room" he winked at Ben "I'll show you some moves"  
Carlos, Evie, and Mal laughed  
Ben groaned: "You guys..." he turned to his parents "Goodnight dad and mum. Night FG and Jane"  
FG and Jane left  
The vks and Ben reached his room  
Ben: "I'll change and then we can watch a movie or sleep immediately"  
Mal and Carlos looked at him: "Movie?"  
Evie: "We will explain to you what a movie is, Ben, go change"  
When Ben came back to the room, they were sleeping on the floor, he blushed when he saw that Mal was sitting on his bed  
Mal: "They look so peaceful..." she glanced at Ben "soooooo... what should we do, Benny Boo?"  
Ben growled a little  
Mal: "Nice Ben" she was smiling happily  
Ben: "We should put them on the bed"  
Mal: "I'll do it" with the help of magic her brother and her friends were lifted and put on the bed  
Mal almost fell but Ben caught her, she was in his arms, she looked up at him, his eyes were so warm and sweet, she could hear his heartbeat  
Ben: "Are you okay?" he seemed genuinely worried  
Mal smiled cutely: "I'm fine, my Little Prince"  
Ben smiled: "You remember?"  
Mal: "You saved my life, Ben. I would never be able to forget you. Even if we don't end up together... Thank you, Ben, seriously" she caressed him the same way she did a few hours ago, with just the tip of her fingers and Ben shivered  
Ben helped her up and she took a step back: "You can sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the couch"  
Mal laughed softly: "Please. I can sleep on the floor..." she looked at the floor "I could sleep on the street, but I'm sure if you sleep on that couch tomorrow you would be complaining"  
Ben: "Should I remind you that once I fell asleep on the grass of the Tourney Field?"  
Mal: "And should I remind you that you complained to Doug for the rest of the week?"  
Ben looked at the bed: "There isn't even space there for us"  
Mal looked at the bed too, she sighed: "Jay is way too huge"  
Ben nodded  
Mal looked at Ben, she got near him: "So what do you suggest?"  
Ben laughed: "We both sleep on the couch"  
Mal looked at it: "Yep, I accept it"  
Ben took two blankets and they arranged the sleeping place. Mal was on one side and Ben on the other  
But Ben moved a lot in his sleep, Mal got awaken by his movements and just glared at him  
Mal whispered: "Enough of this" She kicked a few times and he fell off the couch  
Ben woke up: "What happened?" His eyes were wide open, his hair going in all directions, he was slightly messy   
Mal's eyes glowed a little in appreciation: _Not bad huh_  
Ben looked at her: "What happened?"  
Mal was still looking at him: "You were moving too much, I kicked you and you fell" she smiled a little  
Ben: "What? Why?" he groaned, he got back on the couch and tried to sleep again  
Mal sighed: "I won't sleep like this anymore"  
Ben: "Yeah I remember, once you told me Carlos was making fun of you because if you don't sleep enough you are a dragon" there was a little laughter in his voice  
Mal: "Yeah well" she got off the couch and she lied down next to him on the floor  
When she woke up in the morning, he was still on the couch and she felt rested finally, she sat and scratched her head  
Evie was looking at her funny, Carlos and Jay were still sleeping  
Mal whispered: "What?"  
Evie pointed at Ben, Mal looked at him and her eyes followed his arm when she saw that her hand was in his, she was surprised, to say the least...  
Evie: "You look cute together, he can calm you. And you know... you share dreams. What do you think?"  
Mal looked at her friend: "I'm sorry for not telling you about the dreams... but Maleficent... she made sure I wouldn't want to talk about it... Carlos knew because he was there... I guess FG knows because Ben told her..." She glanced at Ben, she smiled... she didn't even notice it  
Evie smiled too: "You didn't answer my question"  
Mal sighed: "I don't know, he is sweet, he knows me... he actually understands me" she glanced at Evie "I'm his True Love apparently" Evie didn't seem surprised "And you know how I feel about love... after Harry... but here's the thing, he isn't Harry and he knows Love.. you know what he told me yesterday?" Mal rolled her eyes "We were outside after I told all those awful things to Carlos and he found me, he came to me and he talked to me, he comforted me and then he told me about the True Love thing, I was panicking and then he looked at me and said that he wasn't expecting me to do anything, that we should live normally and if it was True Love then it was...and I trust him" the last sentence was said in a surprised tone, her eyebrows were raised, to show her disbelief  
Evie: "He is perfect for you, but like he said there is no pressure"  
Mal nodded  
Ben woke up and released Mal's hand, he scratched his head and sat down, his hair was a mess  
Evie giggled  
Ben looked at her: "What?"  
Evie: "Sorry but you scratch your head in the same way and it is so cute"  
Ben and Mal rolled their eyes  
Evie giggled again  
Jay and Carlos woke up again and said at the same time: "What is going on?"


	17. Planning

Ben and the vks had gone down for breakfast, Jay had apologized to Ben, but the future King had told him that there was nothing to apologize for  
Carlos and Mal were deep in thought  
They seemed to be talking through their eyes, they were seated one in front of the other, thinking about the Isle, their mothers, their father, they had to come up with a plan  
Carlos frowned, Mal shook her head, he nodded and she huffed. Nobody understood what had upset her  
Belle and Adam joined them, the moment they saw Jay they started apologizing but after a few awkward moments Jay got up and went to shook hands with the Rulers  
FG and Jane were announced by Lumiere, they entered the dining room  
Once they had settled down to eat, slowly they all looked at Carlos and Mal who were still talking silently  
Belle: "Sorry but.. what are they doing?" she was whispering, afraid to interrupt the connection  
Evie smiled: "They are talking.. they can read each other minds, I suppose the subject, in this case, is their father" her smile faltered at the end of her sentence  
Jane: "What are we going to do?"  
But something interrupted them  
Lumiere was at the door of the dining room, he seemed upset and angry: "Sorry to interrupt you, your Majesties. But we have some uninvited guests" he looked at the vks worriedly "Queen Aurora and Queen Leah would like to speak to you" he glanced at Adam and Belle now  
The Royal family was speechless, they all turned to Mal at the same time, but said girl wasn't even listening, she was still "talking" to her brother  
FG also surprised said worriedly: "If you let them wait they will come here"  
Belle nodded  
Adam: "Okay, Lumiere lead them in my study"  
Lumiere nodded and left  
Ben: "What are you going to do?" he was worried  
Adam: "No idea, son. You stay here, finish breakfast and go somewhere else" he looked intently at Ben  
Belle shook her head and smiled: "They probably want to talk about what happened yesterday at school... FG" the headmistress looked at her Queen "you should come with us and explained to them that Audrey isn't in danger" she rolled her eyes "Queen Leah will probably throw a tantrum again.."  
FG: "That's fine with me" she looked at her daughter "Stay with Ben and be good" she looked at Mal, who seemed to hear her somehow, and turned "Mal prepare yourself for Aurora and Leah"  
Mal was shocked: "Leah is here?"  
FG and Belle looked at her concerned, then the Queen asked: "Yes, what's the matter?"  
Carlos also looked shocked: "Leah as in Queen Leah?"  
FG nodded  
Carlos and Mal wore identical expressions and said at the same time: "Queen Leah as in the wife of Stefan? The one that hates our mother? That Leah?"  
FG nodded again  
The others were trying not to laugh, the twins' behavior was very comical  
Carlos and Mal seemed both afraid, they looked at each other, then they got up  
Mal: "Maybe we should go"  
Carlos: "Yeah.. we... should ehm... we have homework to do and stuff"  
Mal was nodding "Yep, stuff"  
Ben looked unimpressed and amused: "You got stuff to do?" they nodded "You two realize that FG is the headmistress, who closed the school temporarily which mean you don't have homework or stuff to do, right?"  
Mal looked annoyed: "We don't tell you everything we have to do, you know"  
Carlos: "Exactly, we have a life that doesn't concern you"  
Ben raised an eyebrow: "Really?"  
Mal looked at him and then huffed: "Fine, we don't. But I won't be talking to Leah anytime soon, nor will my brother"  
Belle: "Why?"  
Mal laughed: "She hates our mother. She will be mad at us if she finds out about what we are"  
Belle: "We won't tell her"  
Mal: "In any case, I don't trust that woman near me or Carlos, so it's a no. We will stay here"  
FG: "I just thought that maybe, since you know more about your mother and magic than anyone else here, you could..."  
Mal: "We won't"  
It was clear to anyone that Mal wasn't going to change her mind anytime soon, FG stared at her, then she nodded and left with Adam and Belle  
Carlos: "Well.. let's go somewhere they won't find us"  
Mal shook her head: "They won't come here, let's get back to Hades"  
Carlos nodded, he was really worried, they sat again and started talking again  
Jane: "It seems like we aren't part of the conversation"  
Evie smiled at her: "They know the Isle more than anyone, also they are the only two people that escaped Maleficent and are still alive to tell it"  
Jay nodded  
Ben: "Yeah but I'd like to know"  
Jay: "Why?"  
Ben: "So I'm prepared for what I'll see"  
Jay and Evie started laughing  
Ben looked at Jane who simply shrugged  
Evie: "You think that you will come with us?"  
Ben simply smiled: "Well yeah... I mean.." he looked at Mal  
Evie: "No, you won't come with us"  
Jay seemed to think about it: "You probably would be safe in the Reformed Part but we are still talking about villains, I don't trust them enough to bring you there"  
Ben: "You can't go without me" he sounded like a child  
Mal seemed to hear him: "What has gotten you so upset, Benny Boo?"  
Ben pouted in her direction and she smiled at him  
Jay: "Your Prince thinks that he can come with us, home" he was trying to mess with Ben, Mal wasn't smiling anymore  
Ben got up: "I'm coming with you. That's final"  
Mal smirked, she got up and approached Ben  
Mal: "No" she tilted her head to one side  
Ben: "You can't control me" he was trying very hard to not look at her lips but it was impossible  
Mal smiled: "Are you sure?" she made her eyes glow  
Ben huffed  
Mal: "You won't come Ben because you would put yourself in danger. Not only that, but you would also be a liability, I would be worried about you and wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else" she was being serious and honest with him. He had to understand  
Ben: "But I want to come"  
Mal: "This isn't a trip. We are talking about a bunch of angry villains that would love to torture you and ultimately kill you..." she was angry "You can't come back. Evie and Jay may not be able to come back. I'm not risking my family for a childish boy who didn't know where to stand"  
Then it seemed like she was struck by a lightning  
Ben looked at her and then at Carlos, he seemed fine  
Evie had seen her friend's face: "What is it?"  
Mal shivered  
Carlos: "Jane, what is going on with you?"  
Evie looked at Jane, she had the same expression of Mal: "Both of you sit down"  
The girls sat, Mal took Jane's hand and sighed. Their eyes were glowing and their hair was floating  
Evie, Jay, and Ben looked at Carlos  
Carlos seemed okay: "I told you my magic is more dormant. Maleficent always said that it was probably because Cruella had no magic whatsoever" then he had to sit down because he almost fell over  
His magic was more dormant but it was there nonetheless

* * *

  
Meanwhile in King's study  
Adam and Belle were sitting in front of Queen Aurora and Queen Leah, FG was there too  
Adam: "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Aurora?"  
Aurora smiled: "My apologies, Adam. When Audrey told us about what happened my mother thought this was the only way... we could have called you, at least, to announce our visit but apparently, we had to rush here" she clearly hadn't thought it necessary going to the Castle  
Leah: "When Audrey told me about what that wretched child did, I knew we had to come here"  
Belle: "Wretched child? I'm sorry to tell you I don't know who you are talking about"  
Leah: "Maleficent's daughter, of course"  
Aurora: "Mother! Stop it. I already told you that Mal didn't do anything. It was magic who screamed, nobody tried to hurt Audrey"  
Adam, Belle, and FG were surprised, to say the least  
FG: "You know that magic can scream?"  
Aurora smiled a little embarrassed now: "Well.. you know Maleficent basically raised me, she taught me about Magic and how it works"  
FG: "You aren't here for the same reason your mother is"  
Aurora shook her head: "I want to meet her. Mal. I need to meet Mal"  
Adam saw Leah's tantrum coming before she could even process what her daughter had said and intervened: "We'll talk to Mal about it. For now, though, she made it clear that she doesn't want to see you"  
Belle: "Dear, Adam..." she shook her head and turned to Aurora who seemed a little offended, "she said that she didn't want to meet one of you specifically" she glanced at Leah  
Leah: "How dare she!"  
Aurora nodded: "Yeah I can see why... could you tell her that I'd like to talk to her and that I won't attack her?"  
Belle nodded: "Of course we can, she is in the dining room right now. I'll go and see what she thinks"  
FG looked outside the window for a second, her magic reacted one moment later and she fainted  
Adam: "Oh my Goodness, Fairy Godmother!"  
They all rushed to the headmistress, even Leah seemed worried

* * *

  
A few moments later  
FG, Mal, and Jane opened their eyes at the same moment  
FG waked up, she was lying down: "What happened?"  
Mal: "My mother happened" she sounded dull  
FG looked around and saw that she was on a bed, Carlos seemed distraught, Jane looked exhausted and Mal was paler than ever  
FG: "What is going on? Jane, darling are you alright?"  
Jane seemed at a loss for words  
Mal answered for her: "I think the fact that all four of us didn't use magic for quite a long time lead to this situation"  
FG: "What situation?"  
Mal: "My mother tried to escape using Carlos and me.. apparently she isn't that crazy and she had a plan C.." she sighed "seeing how close Jane was to me when this happened I guess she reached over to Jane, your daughter who shares her magic with you..."  
FG: "Did she escape?"  
Mal: "No... the problem is... I'm afraid she is getting stronger... I came up with a plan, you won't like it though"  
FG: "Will it end her forever?"  
Mal nodded  
FG: "Well I guess I'll go back to be a fairy then"  
Mal and Carlos sighed and said together: "Thank Zeus"  
Ben seemed confused but for once Jane knew the answer  
Jane: "My mother is a fairy, she never stopped being one. The thing is that when the war happened she chose your parents' side, meaning that she picked good. We faires aren't good or evil, we live following other laws that human can't understand"  
FG: "What's the plan?"  
Mal: "We have to end her.. to kill her"


	18. Maleficent

Mal: "We have to end her.. to kill her"  
FG and Carlos nodded  
Jane: "We literally can't though" thinking about the curse that prevented the villains to die  
Mal looked at her and sighed: "The barrier allows her to come back, but if she's where she was born..." she looked at FG "she won't"  
Carlos: "Will it be painful?" he didn't know if he wanted her to suffer  
Mal: "Well... I mean... I never truly died but for my experience certainly, it won't be funny"  
The rest of the group was looking at the magic users astonished  
Aurora: "You can't do it. She... I mean she is evil now but it's not her fault"  
Carlos and Mal glared at her like they were one person and immediately the atmosphere changed in the room  
Mal: "I can assure you that nothing, nothing of what she was is left. She isn't your Fairy Godmother anymore. She is a monster. A monster who right now is planning on killing me, my brother, and all Auradon, including you" she stopped "You may think she can redeem herself but you are wrong.." she looked down at her feet "it took me 9 years to finally accept the fact that she doesn't know love anymore"  
Aurora started crying: "It's my fault"  
Mal shrugged: "I'm pretty sure it's your father's fault, but since he is dead and your mother.. well she is your mother, I guess I understand why you will take the blame"  
Leah was standing near the door, she had heard Mal but didn't dare to say anything  
Ben then intervened: "Mal, Carlos... she is still your mother"  
The teenager laughed at the innocence of the future King  
Mal: "She isn't our mother"  
Carlos: "She kind of built us, the only mother figure we ever had was Grimhilde"  
Mal nodded  
FG: "Sorry to interrupt this beautiful and light conversation, but we have to plan how to kill the most powerful and evil fairy that exist at the moment"  
Carlos smirked: "She isn't the most powerful fairy anymore"  
The rest of the group aside Evie, Jay, Jane, and Mal looked at him  
Ben: "What do you mean? Of course, she is. She reached over the barrier"  
Carlos looked disappointed: "Do I need to remind you why and how Mal and I exist?"  
This gained him a round of "oh" in the group and looks of realization took over those of confusion  
Carlos muttered something  
Mal: "Plus we have FG and Jane, and the Moors of course"  
FG and Jane nodded  
Evie: "Mal, Carlos" the two teens looked at her "we could help too" she was referring to herself and Jay "we could give you some strength or brew some potion"  
Mal smiled: "Perfect, cause we need something that will knock her out for a few hours"  
Evie nodded: "I know a potion that will do"  
Adam: "FG, please tell me you aren't considering this. You can't kill anyone. It's a crime. You will be sent to the Isle"  
The magic users looked at him: Mal and Carlos disappointed, Jane and FG confused  
Mal: "We won't actually"  
Belle: "Mal, we can't let you kill someone just like that. Maleficent may be evil but she is still a person"  
Now that gained her and Adam a few dirty looks, not only by the vks  
Jane: "Really"  
FG: "Jane" there was a warning there, but everyone could hear the hurt in the headmistress's voice  
Jane: "What? I can't even say what I think now? Will the King write some law against magic users opinion now?" she was pissed, Mal had spent some time telling her what had happened to the faires and the Moors after the war and Jane wasn't happy about it  
Jane's eyes glowed: "We had to hide from them"  
Carlos put a hand on her shoulder to calm her  
Mal: "You can't send us anywhere because we aren't your subjects. Sorry, Adam but legally you have no power over our lives" she pointed at her and Carlos "also the Moors aren't part of Auradon."  
Adam: "Yes, they are" he was being stubborn  
Aurora: "She is right"  
Mal nodded her thanks to Aurora and let her explain  
Aurora: "You aren't a magic user, therefore you have no power over the Moors and nothing will change that. Not even one single law. Not one single magic-users ever answered you. I tried to explain it to my mother but it seems like she doesn't understand" Leah left the room  
Adam: "Why aren't you two of my subjects?"  
Mal laughed darkly: "We aren't humans"  
That seemed to change it all  
Mal: "You clearly haven't thought about it." she sighed "A bummer really. I hate to explain it"  
Carlos on the other hand seemed excited: "Can I?"  
Mal nodded  
Carlos: "I'll remind you again how Mal and I are here. Maleficent cursed herself and Cruella, do you follow me?" he giggled a little "So magic, a fairy and a human that was only a mean of transport. But then we needed a father, right? And who is our father?" He waited a few seconds for then answer that never came  
Ben looked at Mal: "You are magic and Gods"  
Carlos seemed annoyed: "You ruined it, little Prince"  
Adam was shocked  
Belle: "Does that mean that you can't die even here?"  
Mal: "We don't know, we are only half-gods" she looked at Carlos who said: "I hope so"  
Belle: "I think I need to sit down"  
Carlos smiled: "That is what I wanted"  
Aurora had heard everything but fortunately, Leah had left the room: "So wait a second. You two are the most powerful creatures to exist?"  
Mal: "Kind of yeah"  
Belle seemed to realize something else: "And you are.." she looked at Ben and then at FG "she is his.. you will be..."  
FG seemed to understand: "Yeah"  
Belle: "Woah... well this is a plot twist I certainly wouldn't ever be able to imagine in a book"  
They all laughed


	19. Will It End?

  
Mal was alone in the kitchen, it was just past afternoon. Carlos and Jane were in the library with FG studying  
Belle was with Adam, trying to make him understand what was about to happen  
Evie and Jay were in the library too, searching for potions  
Aurora had left with Leah  
A couple of hours before  
 _Aurora was leaving with Leah but she had something to tell her: "I want you to know that I don't blame you, nor your friends. Snow told me about Evie and Jay, she would love to meet them" she sighed "Jasmine too"_  
 _Mal: "Why are you telling me this? Why didn't Snow White and Jasmine contact FG and tell her?"_  
 _Aurora smiled: "Audrey called me the day she met you, she identified you as the leader of the group. My daughter is in the wrong right now but she knows politics" she smiled somehow proudly_  
 _Mal was still suspicious: "Why?"_  
 _Aurora: "Why what?"_  
 _Mal: "Why did you leave her? Why didn't you defend her? Why did you let them take her?" she was getting angrier as she spoke "You knew why she went crazy. By what I saw you know a lot about magic, that means that you knew that she would have got her magic back on the Isle..." her eyes were green and stormier than ever "why did you leave her there?"_  
 _Aurora: "The Moors rejected me 16 years ago, one fairy came to me at night and told me that Maleficent had gained her magic back... I didn't believe her at first but then... I started getting these dreams... she was trying to talk to me, she told me that she loved me, that she was pregnant" she smiled at Mal "and I fell for it"_  
 _Mal was in shock: "She reached you?"_  
 _Aurora nodded: "The most important thing here is that: I care for you. I will help you, I'll talk to my daughter. Don't worry" with that she left_  
Back to the present  
Ben: "Hey Lily Love, what's wrong?"  
Mal: "My mother.."  
Ben: "You don't have to kill her, we will find another way"  
Mal: "There's no other way!" she looked determined "She will try to find a way to hurt me, to hurt Carlos, everyone here is in danger" she looked at him "She will kill you" That was said in a whisper, like saying it out loud would make it real  
Ben: "I'm not worried about me. I have a goddess to protect me" he smiled at her "She is beautiful and kind, intelligent, selfless, powerful..."  
Mal looked at him: "Does it scare you?"  
Ben: "What?"  
Mal: "I don't know.. maybe the fact that I'm a semi-goddess and part magic" she seemed scared  
He didn't get the chance to answer her  
Mal: "I'm not human, don't you see it? I'm a monster.. even Maleficent knew it... that's why she never told me she loved me... unlike Aurora, I never gained her trust or her love" she was crying now "I tried so hard, for so long.. but nothing.. she created me to be a monster, nothing more" then she seemed to realize something "Hades loves Carlos, so he can be loved... maybe it's only me... maybe it's because of Cruella being his transport"  
Ben: "You are loved"  
Mal: "By who?" she was desperate  
Ben: "Carlos. Evie. Jay... Me" the last part was a whisper, he didn't want to be heard and he would have succeeded if Mal hadn't been a fairy  
Mal: "You love me?" she was whispering too  
Ben blushed: "Well yeah... I mean.. not like 'True Love' love... but I know you since we were little, I dreamt of you, you helped me a lot even if you weren't here... I consider you my friend and I love my friends..." he was babbling but Mal seemed to understand and smiled  
Mal: "Thank you"  
Ben: "What is this all about?"  
Mal: "Aurora told me that when Maleficent got her magic back she reached her in her dreams and told her she loved her... she even told her that she was pregnant and..." but then Mal stopped, she turned around where Carlos had stopped as well  
Ben was watching as their faces changed, they were terrified of something he couldn't hear or see, Jane was near Carlos but it seemed like this time magic wasn't involved, not the one she possessed anyway  
Ben touched Mal's shoulder and he saw everything  
On the Isle  
 _Maleficent was screaming in the street, Cruella was watching the scene from the balcony of the Castle._  
 _Maleficent had a dagger in her right hand, she approached a child and slaughtered him_  
 _She was leaving behind her a path of blood and bodies_  
 _She seemed untouchable, protected by some kind of magic veil, she was wearing a black long dress, her skin was pale, her eyes, green like emeralds, were glowing_  
 _She looked at the sky and laughed a demonic laugh: "I will come for you and I will kill you"_  
Back to Auradon  
Carlos and Mal fainted, Ben seemed to react just a second before Mal could fall and Jay was helping Carlos  
Jay: "What the hell just happened?"  
Ben: "Maleficent isn't in her best mood right now"  
Evie: "You saw her" it wasn't a question  
A scream was heard  
FG: "What's wrong? Jane?!" she could be heard from the kitchen  
Jane: "In the kitchen!"  
FG was worried: "Honey are you okay?"  
Jane: "Yes, I am. But Mal and Carlos not so much" she pointed at the teenagers  
FG was paler: "We must start with the plan.. she is getting stronger" she touched Mal's cheek "Let's bring them in your room, Ben"

* * *

Adam and Belle arrived in the room a few minutes later  
Belle: "What's wrong with them?"  
FG: "They had a vision of some sort but I don't know what they saw"  
Evie: "Ben saw it"  
All eyes were on him now  
Ben: "Yes, thank you, Evie." FG looked at him "Maleficent is killing people on the Isle"  
Jay interrupted him "Nothing new"  
Ben looked at him and Jay apologized  
Ben: "Like I was saying.. Maleficent was killing people on the streets... Cruella was on the balcony watching her... smiling..." he was about to puke "She was just going around and picking people.. also kids..."  
Belle: "Kids?" she was white as a sheet  
Adam couldn't say anything, the guilt was clear on his face  
Jay: "Where was she?"  
Ben: "From what I could understand from Mal's thoughts it was outside her Castle"  
FG: "Mal's thoughts?"  
Ben looked at her: "It was like I was in her head, just like in our dreams... I don't know how to explain it.."  
FG: "Can I try something?" she looked at Adam "it won't hurt him"  
Adam nodded  
FG: "I'll summon from your head your vision, you won't see it again, you will remember it though"  
Ben nodded  
FG touched his temples, he didn't see anything but he understood when she saw the vision from the grimace her face made  
FG let a single tear to fall, she watched Mal and Carlos  
Evie was getting worried: "Why won't they wake up?"  
FG: "I believe that she was killing people they knew, the last kid especially.. his name is.. was Eddie?" she looked at Evie and Jay "do you know him?"  
Evie fell next to Mal and started crying, Jay looked outside the window  
Jay: "He is... he was 7 years old, one of the latest kids of Gaston, Mal was very fond of him because he looked a lot like Carlos when he was a child.. she tried to take him with her but Eddie was stubborn.. she had almost convinced him when we were called here..." he looked at FG "did he suffer? was it slow?"  
FG: "No... it was quick"  
Jay nodded: "He won't come back... none of the kids of Gaston ever came back" he sobbed  
Evie got up and went to hug her twin, who collapsed in her arms  
Carlos woke up and looked around: "Eddie?"  
Evie turned to him and shooked her head  
Mal was still out  
Carlos turned to his sister: "Mal, wake up... it's not your fault" his eyes glowed and he communicated with her through their connection, Evie and Jay's eyes glowed too  
Mal's eyes shot open, she looked at her sibling and friends: "He's dead because of me... I killed him" then she looked at Adam "You killed him"  
She got up so fast she almost fell "We killed him!" she was in shock, she was hurt, she was angry  
Magic screamed, Mal got out of the room following that scream  
Everyone followed her tracks  
She was in the garden behind the Castle, they could see the Isle from there, a storm was raging there, green lightings everywhere  
Mal screamed again, the clouds were forming a circle on her head  
FG understood immediately what Mal wanted to do: "Mal, if you take her now she will overpower you, you are too upset... I can't help you and neither can Jane..."  
Carlos took a step further: "But I can" he took Mal's hand  
The two siblings looked at each other, hand in hand  
Mal's right hand and Carlos's left were stretched towards the Isle, they were saying something that seemed like Latin, it was the spell they had found in the library  
Jane sighed: "To Hell with this"  
She joined Mal and Carlos and gave them her magic, touching Mal and Carlos's shoulders  
FG, Evie, and Jay joined her  
Soon enough the storm on the Isle stopped, a figure started appearing in front of the magic users, and the Royal Family  
Adam: "Holy..."  
Belle: "Oh my"  
Ben was speechless, he recognized that figure, he had seen it in his dreams since he was 8 years old and more recently in the vision. She was even scarier  
Adam stood in front of his family, to protect them  
Maleficent was there, her dark laughter stopped at the sight of her children  
Mal and Carlos said at the same moment: "Hello mother"


	20. Hello Mother

Mal and Carlos: "Hello Mother"  
FG, Jane, Evie, and Jay took a few steps back from them  
Maleficent: "Hello children, I've missed you so much in these past years" her voice was cold like ice  
Mal laughed and Carlos smirked, they didn't seem nervous or scared... it was like a family reunion  
Carlos: "How is Cruella?"  
Maleficent: "Sometimes it's like she doesn't even remember you guys" she seemed genuinely upset while saying it "I spent so much time creating you too and she forgot it" she huffed "Well, it seems like you finally decided to act"  
Mal: "You know Cruella isn't always herself, especially if she is with you"  
Carlos: "You hurt Eddie, Mother, you know how much we cared for him" he seemed disappointed  
Everyone around them saw in those minutes of conversation how Carlos and Mal resembled Maleficent, their voices were empty, their faces white, glowing eyes  
Maleficent: "Oh Carlos, my poor child. You know what happens when I get angry.. your sister surely remembers how much it relaxes me to kill" she was smiling evilly at Mal  
Ben growled a little at that, he clearly remembered how much that smile appeared in his and Mal's nightmares  
Maleficent seemed to notice there were other people: "Who do we have here? Did you bring them to me?" Her eyes sparkled  
Mal: "You won't touch any of them. You shouldn't have touch Eddie like Carlos said you knew we cared for him.." she was the one with the evil smirk "Now I guess I'll have my revenge"  
Maleficent: "Is he your Prince?" she was watching Ben, her mood changed immediately "Well, he is surely handsome, but he is the son of the man who put us there, Mally" she looked at her daughter "You haven't forgotten that, have you? You died because of him"  
Mal's body freeze  
Maleficent smiled, sure that her daughter couldn't forgive Adam  
Mal stretched her hand towards Maleficent throat and the woman seemed to understand how wrong she had been  
Mal: "Ben is innocent and Adam didn't kill me, you are the one who killed me, I won't hurt them"  
Maleficent: "You are too powerful, that boy is more human than Beast, you will never be able to be with him. Remember Mal, that night I told you the truth"  
Mal was a little taken aback, but her hold was tight, Maleficent's eyes started to glow less and less with the passing of seconds  
Carlos touched the ground and then looked up  
Jane, FG, Evie, and Jay at this point were in front of the Royal Family  
FG: "We need to bring her to the Moors"  
Carlos turned to look at her and nodded  
Ben: "What is Mal doing?"  
FG: "Nothing that monster doesn't deserve"  
The Royal Family looked at FG like she had grown two heads  
Adam: "What is she doing?"  
FG: "She is just getting some power like Maleficent did this morning to us" she was angry  
Carlos: "We are ready FG" his voice sounded like two, almost like Mal was speaking through him  
FG nodded, she looked at Evie: "Stay here, you will hear everything so you will know when it's over"  
FG and Jane got near Carlos  
Carlos's right hand reach for something at his right and a portal formed, FG and Jane crossed it, then Mal with Maleficent who didn't seem so powerful now and last Carlos who turned and bowed to Evie, Jay and the Royal Family  
Ben understood what was happening too late: "NO MAL!" he started to run towards the portal that was closing but Jay stopped him  
Jay's eyes were glowing and he growled: "You aren't going Ben, you would be a liability"  
Ben: "We can't let them go like that"  
Jay didn't calm down: "Yes we can. They have magic, and the Moors are powerful enough to protect them. To protect her. Mal is powerful and she knows what she is doing"  
Evie: "Let's go back to the Castle and wait there. It's getting cold here"  
The Rulers seemed too shocked to do anything besides follow instructions  
Ben got up, looked at Jay, and then followed his parents

* * *

The portal closed behind Carlos  
Mal was still holding their mother  
Carlos: "What are we going to do?"  
With the death of Eddie their plan had gone outside the window, they needed a plan B  
Mal: "We need to reach the Lake"  
FG nodded: "It's the best place to do it, but before we need to get approval" she looked around "they are coming, Mal, do you know the language?"  
Mal nodded: "Carlos, will you please take my place?"  
Carlos: "Happily"  
Jane: "What if they are on Maleficent's side?"  
FG: "Believe me. They aren't"  
A fairy appeared and started to walk towards them, Mal put herself in front of FG and Jane and talked in a strange language  
The fairy seemed taken aback but nodded and when she saw Maleficent her eyes sparkled  
The fairy talked and everyone understood: "My name is Lilian, we will help you with the spell. Maleficent has done enough"  
When she said Maleficent's name it was like it was poison  
More faires appeared and approached Carlos and helped him  
Carlos looked at Mal and let go, then with the evilest smirk that he could make he said: "Let's end this"  
The group of magic users started to walk towards the Lake

* * *

In the Castle  
Evie was telling Ben what was happening, this way he could calm a little  
Ben: "What's so special about this Lake?"  
Evie looked upset and angry, she turned towards Adam: "Why? Why do you think knowing about magic would be worse then not knowing is above me" she huffed "If they knew they wouldn't get in danger by trying to find out alone" she was pissed at the King  
Jay looked at Belle and Ben, who was still confused: "The Lake is where magic is born. Magic is pure chaos there. It's dangerous for humans, that is why we aren't there. They will put Maleficent there in the Lake, where her magic will be absorbed again"  
Adam: "But Mal said.."  
Jay shooked his head: "In this case, magic won't be tamed. It's nothing like what you did. The Lake will simply take her magic, all of it and Maleficent.. well she won't be a problem anymore"  
Belle: "Will she die?"  
Evie: "Kind of. The part you know will die, she won't be able to do magic anymore. You will be able to put her on the Isle, if you want and if the Moors return her"  
Belle nodded and asked Lumiere for some tea and biscuits  
Jay: "They will be fine" he was talking to Ben, who started pacing

* * *

 _At the Lake_  
The eyes of every magic-user were glowing brightly, nobody there could be mistaken for a human  
Mal took a breath: "This is heaven"  
Lilian giggled: "For magic users, yes. Those Auradonians wouldn't be so happy here" from the way she said it, it seemed like she would happily put someone from Auradon there "That King Adam especially" she smiled wickedly  
Mal smiled too, she didn't want to hurt Adam but she understood Lilian's feeling, she saw that Carlos and Jane were talking and she thought of Ben and about what her mother had told her, he wouldn't be able to stay there with her, that sobered her  
Mal: "Let's do it"  
Every fairy, every magic creature was there, they sat near the Lake, in a circle  
Maleficent was being held: "You will regret this" she looked at Carlos and Mal "I'm the only one that can help you with your powers"  
Mal and Carlos raised an eyebrow at the same time and said: "The Moors know everything, we don't need you. We never did"  
Mal nodded at Lilian  
Lilian smiled: "We are here for the return of Magic to the Lake" she looked at Maleficent "You Maleficent are found guilty of unspeakable crimes, the sentence provides your magic to be returned to the Moors, where it belongs"  
Lilian pushed Maleficent inside the Lake "Let the spell heal yours and our wounds"  
Maleficent started to float on the water and her eyes started glowing a bright green  
Everyone shut up at that, the Lake was working, they took each other's hand and closed their eyes  
Mal and Carlos were the only two that watched it, Maleficent's body seemed to be melting, she was in pain when the Lake reached to take her magic she screamed

* * *

Evie and Jay heard the scream, their eyes were glowing since the portal had closed  
Evie: "It has begun, now we have to wait"

* * *

After what seemed like days, it ended  
Maleficent never seemed so human  
Mal and Carlos were silent while helping their mother getting out of the Lake; it didn't matter that they hated her, Maleficent was a human being now  
Lilian watched them and then asked: "What will happen to her?"  
FG: "There are two possibilities. You can keep her or we could send her back on the Isle"  
Lilian: "Sent her back there"  
FG nodded  
Jane sat near Mal: "That was exhausting"  
Mal smiled a little  
FG looked at the kids: "Let's go back"  
Lilian: "You can come here whenever you want" then every creature disappeared  
Mal and Carlos lifted Maleficent's body, which floated between them and followed  
When they were near the border of the Moors, FG created the portal, Jane went first, then Mal, Maleficent, and Carlos, and FG crossed it last  
The portal closed  
FG: "Well.. that went well"


	21. Goodbye

FG: "Well.. that went well"  
Mal and Carlos were on the ground, Maleficent had passed out  
Mal was worried: "She needs to eat"  
Carlos was nodding  
FG was touched by this, despite everything they wanted to take care of their mother  
Carlos: "If she's too weak we can't send her until tomorrow"  
Mal: "Or later"  
FG thought Uh so not really worried for her  
Jane: "Let's go back to the Castle, we can let her eat something and sleep for a while. The King will send her back the normal way"

* * *

Evie and Jay: "They are here"  
Ben sprinted out of the living room and reached the garden where Mal and Carlos were bent over a woman, Ben was too focused on Mal to care, he saw FG and Jane and they seemed fine  
Mal seemed to feel his presence and looked up, she whispered: "Ben" She smiled, just seeing him made her feel better  
Ben smiled too: "Mal" then his gaze fell to the woman and recognized Maleficent "What happened?"  
Mal was about to explain but she froze and said: "She isn't breathing" she seemed angry and worried at the same time  
Carlos: "For the love of evil, Mother! For once in your life stop making our lives so hard" he was worried too  
Mal kept shaking Maleficent: "Mother come on. It isn't funny"  
Maleficent was very pale at this point and kind of blue  
Mal: "MOM WAKE UP" she stopped acting like she didn't care  
Evie, Jay, Adam, and Belle had arrived and were surprised by Mal's tone  
Carlos dropped the act a few moments after his sister: "Come on you can't die like this. You are the Mistress of Evil, and you wanna die looking so weak?"  
Despite everything, Mal and Carlos somehow still cared for Maleficent because, for all the evil she had done they were better than her, they cared  
Maleficent opened her eyes, and breathed deeply: "What are you two doing?"  
Mal and Carlos sighed in relief  
Mal: "Mother, you scared us"  
Maleficent: "It is my purpose" she smiled wearily  
FG was surprised to see the smile of the fairy, it was one of her oldest smiles, one that came from the days where she wasn't a monster: "Maleficent how do you feel?"  
Maleficent looked at FG: "Well Annabel you did steal my magic, I felt better. But I'm not dead"  
Carlos had gotten up and was looking at the Isle, he didn't want to look at his mother  
Mal: "Now that you had your fun, let's get you something to eat, and then you can go back home" Mal's voice was back to normal like nothing had happened  
Adam: "You want to bring her inside my Castle?"  
Mal, Carlos, FG, and Jane looked at Adam  
FG raised an eyebrow at the King: "She doesn't have her magic anymore, she could use force, like every other human, if she had any. She will eat something and then you can send her back to the Isle"  
Adam: "I'm not sure it's a good idea"  
Mal was getting pissed and she started to look a lot like Maleficent when she still had her powers: "You will feed my mother and you will do it quietly or do I need to remind you why we are here in the first place if you had done your work Eddie would be alive"  
Adam was taken aback: "What about the vow?"  
Mal: "We promised you that we would try to forgive you and that we would not hurt you if you didn't hurt us"  
Carlos looked menacing: "Also, we were raised by Maleficent and our father is Hades... we are villains, aren't we?"  
Belle understood the situation; the kids were tired, they had almost killed their mother and Adam was acting out: "Bring your mother inside, in the living room. Ben will talk to Lumiere to arrange dinner. Go on kids"  
The teens got inside the Castle after giving the King dirty looks  
Ben stopped: "I thought for a moment that you would be understanding...but no matter how hard I try..."  
Belle: "Ben go and talk to Lumiere, I'll scold your father" she was disappointed too  
Ben left  
Belle: "They are just kids"  
Adam: "Sure, kids that are more powerful than any villain on the Isle"  
Belle: "They aren't villains"  
Adam: "How do you know that?"  
Belle lost her control: "They risked their lives for us! It's enough Adam! Those children got tortured, assaulted, killed because of us and you make them sound like they are some dark creatures... The only dark creature here is you"  
Adam gasped and took a step back: "What?"  
Belle was crying: "Look at the facts. Those kids almost killed their mother to protect their father and us, and you went there and the only thing that worried you was Maleficent being inside the Castle? Didn't you see how stressed they were? Maleficent was almost dead... didn't you see Carlos crying over what he thought was the body of his mother? But you were too worried about magic! Magic hurt you because you deserved it... I thought you had understood it.. but I was wrong.. go for a walk and come only when you see what you did"  
Belle and FG left, FG wrapped an arm around Belle who was crying

* * *

Maleficent was lying on the couch, Mal and Carlos were watching her, Evie and Jay were talking about the King  
Ben came in and looked at Mal: "I'm sorry for my father" he looked at Carlos "I really am"  
Carlos smiled at him, a watery smile but one nonetheless  
Mal: "It isn't your fault. I exaggerated... I was a little emotional"  
Ben shook his head, then looked at Maleficent: "How is she?"  
Mal: "Tired, but alive. The Lake took all her magic and energy. Jane is tired too" she tilted her head towards the girl who was sleeping on the armchair near the fire  
Ben: "The dinner is arranged and my mother is scolding my father"  
Mal and Carlos nodded, while Jay and Evie smiled  
Belle entered the room with FG, she looked at the teens and a hiccup escaped her lips  
FG: "Hey, it's okay. They don't hate you. You were right scolding Adam, he is stubborn. Maleficent is harmless now. It's over, now let's get something to eat, okay?"  
Belle nodded and approached Mal and Carlos who had heard them: "I'm so sorry for my husband"  
Carlos: "It's weird how you referred to him as a father and a husband when he is also a King... nobody seemed to apologize for his acting as a King..." he was angry with the King  
Mal rolled her eyes at her brother: "You have nothing to apologize for Belle"  
Belle smiled brightly, relieved: "Thank you, Mal. And you are kind of right, Carlos... I apologize for the way the King acted"  
Carlos nodded  
They waited for the dinner to be ready, then they went to the dining room and found Adam there  
The vks looked at him, disappointment all over their faces, Ben was about to say something when Adam raised his hand to stop him  
Adam: "I want to apologize for the way I acted. I realize now that I was wrong. I'm sorry"  
The vks wouldn't say anything, they were looking at each other speaking silently  
Belle looked at her husband and smiled a little to let him know that she forgave him, Ben and FG nodded  
Jay: "I'm sorry too because we can't accept your apology right now. You disrespected us, again. We get the fear of Maleficent, some of us better than anyone but the way you talked to us.." he shook his head "Also, we would like to bring Maleficent back on the Isle"  
The Royal Family and FG were silent  
Jane: "I want to go there too"  
FG looked at her daughter: "Why?"  
Jane: "Mal and Carlos will bring Maleficent to the Evil Part, I will stay with Jay and Evie in the Reformed Part" she sighed "I want to see the consequences of your actions" she was looking at the adults "This way, everyone will know what you did"  
FG scolded: "Child, show some respect"  
Jane shook her head: "I'm not talking about the King, I'm talking about all of you, all of those who decided that leaving children alone on an Isle full of villains was a good choice"  
Adam looked at Jane for a second, he turned to the vks: "Well, I can understand why you don't accept my apology and I can arrange the.. let's call it 'visit' to the Isle. I will be coming too"  
Carlos and Mal laughed, Maleficent joined them. Everyone except the trio was taken aback by that  
Maleficent: "Do you have a death wish?"  
Adam was confused  
Mal: "Everyone hates you there. You wouldn't survive the first five minutes"  
Adam: "But the Reformed Part.."  
Evie: "They are good people, not saints"  
Jay: "I know a couple of people that would welcome you" the King smiled a little "to make you suffer" this canceled the smile on the King's face  
Ben: "Maybe I could go"  
Mal: "NO!"  
Ben looked at Mal surprised: "Why?"  
Mal: "Are you insane? You are his child" she pointed at Adam "they will hurt you even more. Have you ever heard of revenge?"  
Carlos tried to calm his sister Vio  
Mal turned to look at him and shook his head: "He isn't coming"  
Carlos, Jay, and Evie didn't seem against the idea of Ben going to the Isle, he saw it  
Ben: "What do you think guys?"  
The three vks looked at him  
Evie: "They definitely hate you"  
Jay: "Gaston for example..." he glanced at Belle  
Carlos: "And villains love good revenge"  
Evie: "On the other side you showed them that you care"  
Jay: "The Reformed Part was very happy to see that you wanted to give us a chance"  
Carlos: "I heard Ursula and Uma talking about you using your real name"  
But Mal wasn't having any of it: "He. Isn't. Coming. It's too dangerous."  
Maleficent added: "The Evil Part dreams about having the little Beast on the Isle since his birth. And you know it is not for good reasons"  
Belle looked at Maleficent: "I think Mal is right. Ben, you will stay here"  
Ben: "I can protect myself"  
Mal: "You know nothing about self-defense against villains. They don't follow the rules. What do you know about a fight, Ben? Have you ever use a knife? Have you ever punch someone?"  
Ben went silent  
Mal: "Exactly"  
Ben: "What about Jane?"  
Evie answered him: "Nobody will hurt her. She would stay at our house. Jay and I will protect her. Plus, nobody in the Reformed Part hates FG"  
Mal: "Then it's settled. Carlos and I will bring Maleficent to the Evil Part. Jay, Evie, and Jane will stay in the Reformed Part. Then we will be coming back"


	22. The Isle (Part 1)

Ben wasn't afraid, not at all. Mal was going to come back, she was going to be fine... right?  
He was looking at her talking with her brother, she seemed so... ready to kill somebody  
He knew she had lived on the Isle long enough to know how to defend herself but he couldn't ignore the fear he was feeling.. he was worried about her, he always had been since he first saw her in his dreams, even before they understood that the dreams weren't simple dreams, he cared for her and now.. he cared even more  
To him he didn't matter the whole "True Love" stuff, he cared for her like he cared for Carlos or Jay or Evie... of course, knowing her better then the others amplified the feeling  
Mal seemed to feel his staring because she turned to look at him with an understanding look  
Mal: "What are you thinking about?" she was getting closer to him  
Ben: "Nothing... you know the usual stuff you think about when your friends are going on a possible lethal mission to bring an ex Evil Fairy back to the Isle..."  
Mal rolled her eyes and smiled a little: "You don't need to worry. Jane will be protected, Grimhilde will kill anyone who tries to hurt her. Believe me, I have seen her angry"  
Ben: "It's not Jane I'm worried about"  
Mal looked confused for a moment: "Who are you worried about?"  
Ben: "You"  
There. He had said it. It was pretty simple really  
Mal didn't seem to understand though, she was surprised now  
Mal: "Why are worried about me?" then she stopped "Mother won't hurt me again, at the moment she can hurt only herself"  
Ben: "I'm worried because you could get hurt by someone else, your mother isn't the only villain there.." he sighed "I'm worried that you won't come back.. what if you remember why you hate Auradon so much and decide to stay there? what if someone kidnaps you?"  
He was rambling now. Mal was looking at him like he was some weird thing that she couldn't understand like he was talking in a different language... but what she said next reassured him, she understood what he was saying  
Mal: "Ben" her voice had never been calmer "nothing bad will happen to me and I will be back."  
Ben: "How can you be so sure? Maybe once you are there.. everything can change.."  
She put her hands on his arms to stop him from moving and looked him straight in the eyes  
Mal: "Do you remember the promise you used to do to me when we were younger?"  
Ben had to think for a minute to remember it: when they were kids Mal wasn't always so cold, there were times when Ben was Mal's safe place (he still was but she made sure nobody knew it), and every time they were in each other dream Ben promised her that he would always go back to her, it reassured her to have someone who knew everything about her  
Ben: "Yes I do"  
Mal: "I promise you I will always come back to you. Always"  
He believed her and nodded  
Ben: "Fine. I'll wait for you here"  
She smiled at him, then it seemed like she wanted to do something else to say something else but she stopped herself, she patted at his arms and nodded  
Carlos called her name and she left  
The couple hadn't realized that their conversation had been watched by Belle and FG, Evie and Jane had also noticed how intimate Ben and Mal had been  
Jay: "We are ready"  
Mal and Carlos nodded, the twins looked more similar than usual  
When Jane asked Evie why they looked so cold and distant, the daughter of Evil Queen smiled a little, she didn't seem very happy  
Evie: "They are starting to act like when they were on the Isle" she looked at Jay "It's not like they forgot what it means to be there but they need to focus" she looked at Ben "Ben, may I speak with you?"  
Ben surprised nodded and followed Evie  
They were on the opposite corner of the room  
Evie seemed very focus on Ben: "What were you talking about with Mal?"  
Ben: "Why do you care?"  
Evie: "If you answer my question I'll answer yours"  
Ben: "Fine. We were talking about the Isle and how it worries me that she goes there"  
Evie nodded: "I was wondering why Mal was so close to you and didn't seem uncomfortable at all" she looked at her friend "It's not so easy to make her feel comfortable... I guess the fact that you share dreams makes it easier though"  
Ben didn't know what to say, he shrugged  
Adam: "Well since the plan is settled, I say we go to bed and rest"  
Jane stayed the night, the teenagers shared Ben's room  
Jane: "This is like a sleepover"  
The vks looked at her  
Carlos: "A what now?"  
Ben and Jane shared a look  
Jane: "Nothing. It doesn't matter"  
The vks were thinking about the Isle and the plan and didn't ask other questions  
They all fell asleep thinking about the next day

* * *

Mal and Carlos were the first to wake up, they dressed up and went to find Maleficent that was in one of the rooms of the Castle  
When the rest of the group woke up and got to the dining room the trio was there, eating in silence  
Adam, Belle, and FG were awake too  
Ben interrupted the creepy silence: "Goodmorning!"

Mal, Carlos, and Maleficent barely looked at him with the same expression of boredom  
Ben: "Yeah.. okay. Let's eat"  
He sat near Mal but he realized immediately that she wasn't in the same mood as the day before, so he simply sat there and ate his breakfast  
The vks and Maleficent were eating more than usual, Belle had to ask  
Belle: "Why are you eating so much?"  
The vks and Maleficent looked at each other  
Evie decided to answer: "We need all the strength we can get. Jane, you should eat more too. On the Isle, there isn't this food and even if we will stay there just one day... you never know what can happen"  
Belle: "What can happen?"  
Evie sighed and looked at Jay  
Jay: "We can promise Jane won't get hurt, we can't promise how long the mission will take" he looked at FG "The Reformed Part is the closest to the gate, this means that the Evil Part is the more distant one"  
Ben looked at Mal, worry all over his face but Mal wasn't capable of reassuring him now  
Ben turned to Evie: "How long could it take?"  
Evie: "Days"  
FG looked at Jane ready to say something but Mal  
Mal: "I know you are worried about Jane, FG, but we have a solution. Evie, do you have it here?"  
Jay: "Well it was Mal's idea."  
Evie: "Yes I have it"  
Evie was looking for something in her purse, once she found it she gave it to Mal who said a few words and turned to FG. It was a mirror.  
Mal: "With this mirror, you will be able to see Jane on the Isle, whenever you want. This way you'll know when we'll want to come back" she proceeded to give the mirror to FG  
FG: "You didn't answer the question, Mal"  
Mal: "Jane will stay on the Isle for 3 days. If Carlos and I aren't with them by the third day... we'll find another way to come back here"  
Ben: "You are saying that you will be staying on the Isle alone, no way to communicate with us"  
Mal looked at him: "Yes"  
Everyone in the room was waiting for some sort of fight but the couple was simply looking in each other's eyes, searching for something  
When Ben sighed the silent conversation seemed over  
Belle: "It doesn't feel right to leave you alone there"  
Carlos: "Why? You did it for 20 years. What's different now? The fact that my sister may be your future..?"  
His question was interrupted by a look from Mal  
Maleficent had heard enough though and looked at her daughter and son: "What's going on?"  
Mal smiled: "Nothing Mother. You know Carlos. He is a fool, he overthinks. He is certain that the future King is somehow interested in me." she said this looking directly in her mother's eyes, her voice full of venom  
Maleficent laughed: "Carlos as if your sister could forget and forgive these people. She will always hate them, no matter how hard she may try, I made you both don't forget it"  
She was looking more like the evil Maleficent and the sight made Carlos turned to stone  
Ben was looking down while Mal was looking outside the window, her eyes unreadable  
After a few minutes of complete silence, a guard interrupted the breakfast to inform the King that they were ready  
Maleficent got up with the help of Mal: "Well, thanks for your kind hosting but I must go back"  
Carlos had already conjured a pair of cuffs and proceeded to handcuff her  
The King looked more relaxed when Mal told him that the cuffs were magical, only Carlos or her magic could open them  
Once everyone was ready, they went to the limousine  
Carlos: "Well.. let's go home then"


	23. The Isle (Part 2)

Ben wanted to hug Mal, but he knew that Maleficent would have understood that he cared for her and that Mal had lied  
So he just smiled at all the vks, shook their hands and hugged Jane  
Then they were gone  
FG was crying a little, his father was trying to reassure her that Jane would be okay  
Belle seemed to notice that he was holding back and approached him  
Belle: "She is going to be okay"  
Ben: "Of course"  
Belle: "And she will come back to you"  
Ben simply nodded  
Belle: "If you think about it, it's the Isle we should worry about. She is a force to reckon with"  
Ben smiled a little  
Belle: "That's my sweet boy. Everything is going to be okay." she put her arm around his shoulders "Why don't we go inside? Let's go to the library"  
Ben followed his mother and tried to distract himself

* * *

Maleficent was already starting to plot some way to escape  
Mal: "Mother it's enough! Carlos and I are going to bring you home and then we'll go back to Auradon. And we won't kill anyone"  
There were two guards with them, they were trying to look relaxed with no result, but Mal couldn't blame them  
Carlos: "I now regret not letting you in the Moors"  
Evie and Jay were happy to go back and see their parents. Jane was worried and curious  
Jane: "We won't have our magic there, right?"  
Mal: "No, you won't"  
At this Jane looked confused  
Jane: "You will?"  
Mal nodded  
Jane: "How?"  
Mal: "I'll tell you once this is over"  
Jane nodded, understanding that Mal didn't want Maleficent to know  
A few minutes later the limousine stopped and they all got out  
Mal: "Finally"  
She couldn't wait any longer to get out of the car, her Mother was being her usual insufferable self  
Once they were inside the dome, the vks took a deep breath  
Jane was looking around like she couldn't believe what she was seeing  
Jane: "What is this smell?"  
All the vks and Maleficent: "Rotten food"  
Maleficent was starting to look paler by minutes  
Mal and Carlos knew that it was the Reformed Part affecting her, they told the driver to go back to Auradon  
Mal: "All right guys, it's time to divide and conquer"  
Evie smiled at her friend: "Good luck and come back soon"  
Jay patted Mal's head and Carlos's back  
Jane smiled sadly: "Good luck"  
Mal, Carlos, and Maleficent started to walk towards a narrow lane and disappeared  
Evie: "Let's go"  
With that, they started to go in the opposite direction the others had gone  
Evie was pointing houses and alleys to Jane, telling stories when they got near a small house  
Jay and Evie said at the same time: "Home sweet home"  
They were about to knock when the door was open with a force that could have easily unhinge it  
A man that looked like an older version of Jay, was standing there, he was a little taller then Jay, black hair and brown eyes, he was tanned  
Jane understood who he was a second after he captured Jay and Evie in a bear hug  
Jafar let his kids go: "What are you two doing here?"  
Evie: "We will explain once inside"  
Jafar then seem to notice her presence, it took him a few seconds to recognize her  
Jafar: "You brought FG's daughter on the Isle? Are you insane?"  
Jay: "If you let us come in we will explain everything"  
Jafar nodded and let them in  
A female voice: "Jafar, honey, who did you let in?"  
The voice got closer and there she was, one of the most beautiful women Jane had ever seen, tall, brown hair, black eyes, and fair skin  
Grimhilde captured her kids in a bear hug, just like her husband had done a few minutes before, but in a more delicate way  
Grimhilde: "Did the King sent you back?" she was worried  
Jane couldn't help but compare the stories she had heard all her life and what she was seeing now: two parents like any other, like her mother, normal people. Nothing like the tales that she had learned by memory  
Grimhilde noticed her and reacted weirdly, for a second she seemed to retire in her mind and asked with an empty voice: "Annabel?"  
Evie: "No, mom. She is FG's daughter, Jane."  
Grimhilde seem to return to herself and smiled: "Of course" then she turned to Evie and Jay "did you kidnap her? What is she doing here?"  
Evie and Jay laughed  
Jafar: "Why don't we all sit down and drink something? This way Evie and Jay can explain everything"  
They sat down and Evie started to tell her parents what had to happen

* * *

Maleficent: "I hate the Reformed Part"  
Carlos rolled his eyes at the same time Mal did  
Mal: "You already told us that, Mother... like a 100 times"  
They had been walking for hours, they had stopped for half an hour because Maleficent had passed out. The Reformed Part was doing its best to make her sick  
Carlos: "We are almost there, Mother. I can feel the electricity, can't you?"  
Maleficent nodded

* * *

Grimhilde: "Wow... that's an interesting story alright"  
Jafar looked at Jane: "And you came here only to see how we live?"  
Jane nodded  
Jafar laughed a little: "You are a brave little girl"  
Jay: "So what's new here?"  
Jafar: "You already know what Maleficent has done, Uma was furious. She is at the Castle now, we haven't heard from her since yesterday"  
Grimhilde: "I hope Mal and Carlos are okay. The Evil Part was ready for war. Luckily the other Parts felt it and now any evil person that steps in them with evil intentions is k.o. in minutes"  
Evie nodded  
Jane: "Can we go outside? I would like to see more"  
Grimhilde was looking at her, sadness in her eyes: "You look so much like her"  
A voice interrupted, it was like a whisper  
Jafar: "What's that?"  
Evie: "I guess FG wants to see you, Jane. Pick up the mirror"  
Jane took the mirror out of her bag and there it was her mother, looking very worried  
FG: "Jane! Are you okay?"  
Jane laughed a little: "Mom I'm fine. We arrived at Evie and Jay's home hours ago"  
FG: "Oh okay. Is Grimhilde with you?"  
Jane nodded and put the mirror on the table to let her mother see Grimhilde, that was now paler than a ghost  
FG: "Grimhilde"  
Grimhilde was tense: "Annabel"  
FG: "You look even more beautiful then I remember"  
A tear rolled down Grimhilde's face, but she smiled  
Grimhilde: "So do you"  
FG: "Your kids are very kind and smart, just like you were. You did a great job. Jafar, you too"  
Jafar was near Grimhilde, trying to give his wife comfort: "Thank you, Annabel. Your daughter is one special girl to come here to see how we live"  
FG: "She truly is. Jane?"  
Jane turned the mirror to herself: "I'm here"  
FG: "Jane dear, behave, and don't do anything reckless, all right?"  
Jane nodded  
FG: "Well. I'll see you tonight"

* * *

 _On the other side of the Isle_  
Carlos: "Finally"  
Mal: "Home rotten home"  
Maleficent sighed in relief and took the last few steps to enter the Evil Part  
Carlos and Mal looked at each other and then followed her  
The trio felt the electricity immediately, Maleficent looked way better  
Mal: "Nice. Now let's get you home"  
Maleficent: "There is the Castle"  
Mal: "Yeah I know"  
They resumed the trip  
It was late in the afternoon and they weren't even halfway through  
Mal: "We would be already there if you could speed up a little Mother"  
Maleficent: "Don't you disrespect me or..."  
Mal: "Or what?" she laughed "You can't hurt us anymore."  
The cuffs that kept Maleficent tied were still on, Mal was getting tired, she was using her magic for the mirror and the cuffs, but she couldn't help but fight with Maleficent  
Carlos: "Shhh, someone is coming"  
They hide under a porch and kept silence  
Carlos looked at Mal, they had a few enemies who would be very happy to know that they were back, but with Maleficent under their supervision, they couldn't fight anyone  
They let a few minutes pass, they heard someone approaching  
Three people, they were outnumbered. Mal knew they were in real danger only when they heard who had approached their hideout  
Gaston: "I know what I heard"  
A male voice: "They are in Auradon, it's impossible"  
Gaston: "Is it? They could be back" someone was punched "And don't you ever insinuate that I'm wrong"  
Maleficent: "He knows the verb insinuate"  
She was whispering, she too had a few enemies that would be happy to take advantage now that she was weak, one of them: Gaston  
Mal and Carlos smiled at her comment  
The other man: "Let's go back to the saloon"  
Gaston: "All right, let's go"  
The trio heard the three men go away but waited a little more to be sure then Carlos got out of his hiding to check  
Carlos: "They are gone" still whispering  
Mal nodded and got out, followed by Maleficent  
Maleficent: "Let's hurry" she started walking faster now

* * *

 _Grimhilde and Jafar house_  
Jane: "They are safe, aren't they?"  
Evie was relaxed as she had never seen her, in the minute they had got out of the car Jay and Evie had relaxed. Jay couldn't stop smiling, Evie was even more cheerful. Jane was wondering if she looked like them when she was in Auradon, but she knew the answer. No. With people like Audrey around she couldn't truly relax. Here on the other hand, if you didn't breathe it wasn't so bad.  
Grimhilde had stayed in the house while Jafar, Jay, and Evie had guided her on a tourist trip through their "block" and its surroundings; it wasn't too dirty, the kids that were walking around seemed happy  
Once they had reached the market though... she couldn't help but miss Auradon, at the same time she couldn't help but hate Auradon  
The smell was awful and the sight was worse  
From what Jafar told her the Evil Part was far worse, that didn't help Jane  
But she made a promise to herself, she would go back to Auradon and tell everything to Ben who would make it right  
Evie: "No, they aren't. But I'm sure that they are being careful. They will be okay" she didn't sound so sure about the last sentence but Jane didn't ask  
Jay: "Jane are you ready for a real Isle's meal?"  
Jane: "Yes, I'm very hungry" she was about to say 'starving' but she had remembered where she was just in time, Evie and Jay surely noticed but didn't say anything about it  
Jay: "Lucky for you" he laughed "Mom made her special meal just for you"  
Jane: "Oh, but she didn't have to"  
Jay: "Don't worry. She is happy"  
Jafar called them, dinner was ready  
When Jane sat down and looked at her plate, she understood the behavior of the vks during their first dinner in Auradon. However she didn't say anything, she simply looked at Jay and Evie and they understood  
They ate their dinner, Grimhilde asked her about her mother, Evie and Jay told their parents everything about Auradon, Jafar seemed particularly proud of Jay, Carlos, and Mal for joining the Tourney team, while Grimhilde asked Evie about the school and the various subjects  
Jane thought this was a normal family dinner  
Jafar and Jay started to clear the table while Evie closed every window and the door, Grimhilde was upstairs  
Jane was standing there looking at the family routine  
Grimhilde came down: "I organized a little the room"  
Evie nodded and then yawned  
Grimhilde: "My little princess is tired?"  
Evie smiled: "Very. It has been a stressful couple of days"  
Grimhilde nodded  
They stayed up for a while and then Evie led her to the room they would share  
Evie: "Here is the room. We used to sleep here in four, with Carlos and Mal"  
Jane: "There is no bed"  
Evie smiled: "No, no bed. But we have a nest. It's formed by old clothes or blankets..."  
Jane sighed: "I'm so deeply sorry Evie"  
Evie: "I know. But it's not your fault"  
Jane: "It doesn't help... Your normal dinner is like a third of what my normal dinner has been all my life, you don't have beds..." she shook her head and the tears she was holding back started to roll down her face "How can someone do something like this and called himself a good person?"  
Evie got near her and hugged her: "I don't know, Jane. But you are different from them. You came here to see it for yourself. You haven't complained about anything. And you are taking responsibility for something you didn't do and couldn't stop... You are a good person"


	24. The Isle (Part 3)

It was past midnight  
Mal, Carlos, and Maleficent were getting closer to the Castle now, they could see the door  
Maleficent: "Finally home"  
Mal had stopped a couple of meters before, she was looking at something, she crouched down and touched it  
Carlos: "Mal what is it?"  
Mal: "Eddie" her voice didn't betray any emotion  
Carlos got closer: "We'll bring him with us. We can bury him in the Forest"  
They had decided to go visit Hades  
Mal nodded  
Mal and Carlos approached the Castle  
Maleficent was gone  
Mal: "Where did she go?" she was tired  
Carlos: "I don't know"  
Mal scowled: "I won't get killed again because of her"  
Uma: "You won't, don't worry"  
Mal smiled: "Uma?"  
Uma: "Hello there, what are you two little shrimps doing here?"  
Mal went to hug Uma, who hugged her back  
Carlos: "We came to bring Maleficent back home, I suppose you have nothing to do with the fact that she is nowhere to be seen" he was smiling  
Uma laughed: "I do actually. She killed Eddie and a lot of others" she looked at Mal and Carlos "But I guess you already know that"  
Mal nodded: "Yep. We took her magic"  
Uma: "How?"  
Mal explained everything the faster way possible, it was late and they were in the streets, dangerous territory  
Uma nodded: "Okay but she has to receive a prosecution"  
Mal: "If we knew that you were waiting for her we would have brought her to your mother and sent her to call you"  
Uma: "Sorry Mal. I heard you talking about burying Eddie in the forest"  
Carlos nodded  
Uma: "Very sweet guys, we will help you"  
Mal, Carlos, Uma, and her gang started to pick the bodies of the innocents  
Uma: "Let's go to the Forest"

* * *

Jane was having problems to fall asleep  
Evie noticed it: "Are you uncomfortable?"  
Jane: "No, the bed isn't the problem. I can't help but think about what you told me"  
Evie: "Jane, if you let it the guilt will eat you"  
Jane: "I don't feel guilty anymore. I know it's not my fault... it's just... how can he live with himself?"  
Evie smiled: "The King?"  
Jane turned to her: "Yes. He destroyed so many lives... He killed so many people and yet..."  
Evie: "I don't think he is as happy as we think. I think he has his demons, like all of us. The problem is that he is too stubborn to admit it"  
Jane sighed  
Evie: "Now sleep, or you will be tired"  
Jane fell asleep, thinking about ways of helping the Isle

* * *

Mal: "Here"  
Uma: "Are you sure?"  
Everyone knew that Mal was the second person who knew every inch of the Forest  
Mal nodded  
It wasn't dark anymore, it was dawn now  
Uma: "Let's start digging then"  
After a few hours, the burial was done  
Mal and Carlos watched the gravestone of Eddie  
Not one of these innocents that Maleficent had killed had come back  
Uma: "Now let's go back"  
Mal shook her head: "We are going to visit Him"  
Uma nodded: "When you go back make sure to visit me first"  
Carlos: "Will do"  
They said goodbye  
Mal: "Let's hurry up, I'm tired"

* * *

Evie woke her up 

Jane: "What is it?"  
Evie: "Your mom" she handed her the mirror  
Jane: "Mom?"  
FG: "Goodmorning dear. How are you?"  
Jane: "Morning mom. I'm fine, what about you?"  
FG: "Worried. Do you have news from Mal and Carlos?"  
Jane shook her head  
Jay: "Tell Ben to stop worrying. Mal has survived years without you all"  
Jane: "Did you hear Jay?"  
FG smiled a little: "Yes, we did"  
Jane: "Who are you with?"  
FG raised an eyebrow: "With Ben, Belle and Adam"  
Jane: "Oh.. right. Sorry, I'm still asleep"  
FG smiled: "I'll see you later, sweetheart"  
Jane: "Bye mom"  
Jane turned to Evie, who was scolding her brother  
Evie: "Let's go"  
Jay: "Evie"  
Evie: "Right. Jane... we aren't going to have breakfast, or lunch.. or dinner"  
Jane was taken aback, then she remembered how Mal couldn't believe they would eat 3 meals a day  
Jane: "Oh, not a problem. I'll be fine"  
Evie and Jay looked at her, nodded, and let the conversation drop

* * *

Mal and Carlos had finally reached the Cave  
Everything seemed fine  
Carlos went to the door and rang the bell  
They were waiting for the door to open and let them in when Hades came from behind them  
Hades: "What are you two doing here?"  
The two teenagers jumped at the noise and turned around  
Carlos smiled: "Hey dad"  
Hades couldn't believe his eyes, his children didn't show up at his Cave very often, when they did usually they were beaten up a bit but what he was seeing was different  
Carlos and Mal looked like they hadn't slept or eaten in days, they seemed sad and upset  
Mal especially looked ready to puke  
Hades: "What happened?"  
Carlos: "Can we talk inside?"  
Hades nodded and opened the door to let them in  
Mal went immediately to sit on her favorite armchair, his, and closed her eyes, she relaxed her body and fell to sleep in seconds  
Hades turned to his son with a questioning look  
Carlos: "Do you know what Maleficent did the other day?"  
Hades nodded  
Carlos: "She killed Eddie. Mal didn't take it really well, she practically summoned Maleficent out of the Isle. We took her to the Moors, to the Lake that took her magic, and yesterday we arrived at the Reformed Part to bring her back home" he sighed "We walked for 24 hours, we ate breakfast yesterday in Auradon... but the burial of Eddie... also the constant use of Magic these days..."  
Hades nodded: "Go to your room and sleep, I'll bring Mal"  
Carlos nodded his thanks  
Hades picked up Mal and brought her in the room, he put her down near Carlos and let them sleep  
He then proceeded to prepare something to eat for his children

* * *

Evie: "Let's go for a walk"  
Jay nodded  
Jane: "Fine by me"  
They were walking around when a tall girl approached them  
She was beautiful, but she didn't look like Evie, she resembled more Mal, she wasn't someone who wanted to be looked at and admired. She clearly was a leader, she had a few knives on her and a sword  
Evie was taken aback to see her but happy: "Uma?"  
The girl named Uma smiled: "Hey there princess"  
They hugged each other, Jay simply smiled  
Jay: "Something wrong?"  
Uma: "Not at all. I just got something" she pointed behind her  
They saw what she indicating and began to worry  
Evie: "Maleficent?"  
Jay: "Uma, she was supposed to be with Mal and Carlos, did you see them?"  
Uma: "Don't worry. I saw them, we crossed paths at midnight, they didn't look too well but anyway. I took in custody Maleficent for what she did, then we helped them burying the victims in the Forest. We split up, they wanted to visit Hades"  
Evie nodded  
Jay: "She is going to process her, isn't she?"  
Uma nodded: "Mal told me about the Lake, but now Maleficent is human. They want to make her pay"  
Jane had no idea who they were talking about  
Evie and Jay nodded  
Uma looked at Jane: "Who is this?"  
Evie: "She is Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter"  
Uma: "What is she doing here?"  
Jane: "I wanted to see what Auradon had done"  
Uma smiled: "If you want to see what Auradon has done you should visit the entire Isle, but I understand the need to stay alive." She turned to Evie and Jay "The Evil Part is getting worse, the electricity almost killed Gil"  
Jay: "What should we do?"  
Uma: "Nothing. There is no way.." then she seemed to realize something "Mal and Carlos could use their magic"  
Evie: "If they use magic now I'm afraid they could die"  
Uma: "They can't"  
Evie rolled her eyes: "It was a figure of speech"  
Uma nodded: "Well. The villains from the Evil Part can't stay too much here or they faint. We don't go there but if something happens like the other day..."  
Jane: "How did you know it?"  
Uma: "The Isle"  
Evie: "When someone innocent gets killed the Isle tells us" she looked up "Look the dome"  
Jane looked up, she didn't see anything weird until she saw a cloud with letters and numbers  
Jane: "That cloud"  
She looked at Evie, who nodded  
Jane looked up again: "You know how to read what it says?"  
Evie, Uma, and Jay looked at her confused: "You don't?"  
Jane looked at them: "No, I see numbers and letters but they don't mean anything in that order"  
Jay: "She can't read it"  
Uma: "It must be because she is from Auradon"  
Evie: "Fascinating"  
Uma and Jay rolled their eyes  
Uma: "How is the Little Beast?"

Evie: "Nothing like the father"  
Uma: "Really? The Beast couldn't corrupt his son?" her voice was pure venom "I guess the Queen had something to do with that"  
Evie nodded  
Uma: "Well, I have something for Prince Benjamin, it's a list of those who deserve the second chance he seems so ready to give us"  
Jane noticed that when she nominated Ben, Uma didn't seem angry like when she was talking about Adam and Belle and remembered what Carlos had told them 'Ursula and Uma had called Ben with his real name'  
Evie was reading the list and nodding: "I'll give it to him"  
Uma nodded: "Thanks. See ya"  
Once Uma was far enough the trio turned to go back home  
Jane: "Woah"  
Evie: "Yeah" she was looking at the sky, worried  
Jane: "What's wrong?"  
Evie: "It's going to rain. Let's go home"  
Once inside the house, Jane called her mother through the mirror and told her what Uma had said about Mal and Carlos  
After a few minutes, it started raining, then a few screams could be heard from the distance  
Jane looked at Jay and Evie  
Evie: "Our rain isn't like yours" she showed her a little scar that looked like a drop on her forearm  
Jane was horrified  
Jay: "It's all right when it rains in the Evil Part..." he shivered  
Jane was starting to think that the Isle of The Lost wasn't a prison, it was Hell

* * *

Mal woke up, she wasn't in Auradon, she wasn't in the Castle, in the apartment nor the Reformed Part  
She started looking around and saw her brother  
They were in the Cave  
She got up and left the room  
Hades was there, reading a book, when she entered the living room he put the book aside and looked up

Hades: "How are you?"  
Mal: "I'm fine, no need to fake any worry"  
Hades sighed, he was used to it: "I'm not faking it, you crashed in here, sat on the armchair, and practically fainted"  
Mal: "I was very tired, I've been using a lot of magic"  
Hades: "Are you hungry?"  
She shook her head  
Hades: "I have enough food for all of us"  
She looked at him and then nodded  
He went into the kitchen and brought 3 plates, he had heard Carlos too  
Carlos entered the room and sat at the table: "Food"  
Hades rolled his eyes  
They sat in silence and ate their food  
Hades: "You two feel better?"  
They both nodded but Mal was still very pale  
Hades knew any attempt to talk to his daughter would be useless, but he had to try  
Hades: "Mal, are you using magic right now?"  
Mal nodded  
Hades: "Stop, or you won't be able to rest"  
Mal: "I can't. It's our only way out"  
Hades: "Let me take it then"  
Mal looked at him  
Hades: "Let me take so you can rest, then when you leave you'll take it again"  
Carlos intervened: "Do it, or I'll tell him"  
Mal: "You are going to tell him anyway" she looked at Hades "Fine"  
Hades nodded and felt the magic transfer, his hair glowed a little  
Mal: "Thanks.. father"  
Hades smiled, she usually called him with his name, this was better, not like 'dad' but better than nothing  
Hades: "It's nothing, Mal"  
Carlos: "Dad, do you want to know about Mal's boyfriend?"  
That captured his attention  
Hades: "Boyfriend? Who is this lucky guy?"  
Carlos laughed  
Mal: "He isn't my boyfriend"  
Carlos: "Yet. His name is Ben, he is the Crown Prince"  
Hades gasped: "The son of the Beast?" he turned to look at Mal  
Mal: "He isn't like his father"  
Hades: "Bummer"

That made Mal smile  
Then Hades remembered something from a long time ago, Mal had already talked about a Ben  
Hades: "Wait a second. Is this the Ben from your dreams?"  
Mal was shocked: "You remember?"  
Carlos was shocked too, he was looking at Mal: "You talked about him with Dad?"  
Hades was looking at Mal: "Of course I do. Ben was the only thing that made you smile after your mother... after that night"  
He was talking about one of the worst nights on the Isle  
Mal smiled a little: "I didn't think you would remember it" she wanted to say something else but she stopped herself  
Carlos, sensing that it was his presence that stopped his sister, got up: "I'll go for a walk"  
Mal watched him until he was out  
Mal: "Hades... Father, I need your help" she seemed so lost, like a little girl  
Hades wanted to hug her but refrained himself: "What's wrong?"  
Mal: "Mother"  
Hades: "What did she do?"  
Mal: "It's something she said. About me not being able to be with Ben...because he is too human for me" she was whispering now, "She said it like..." she looked at him "Is it true?"  
Hades couldn't believe it, Mal asking for help... this boy must truly deserve her attention: "He is the son of the Beast, but he was born after the curse broke. He probably got something of it... did you notice if he is particularly strong or fast?"  
Mal nodded: "He also has sharp ears"  
Hades nodded: "So there are some traits of it.. but I can't know for sure... The thing is you dreamt about him..."  
Mal blushed: "Actually.. we share dreams"  
Hades had never seen his daughter blush, he was so surprised that he understood what she had said after a good minute: "You share dreams?"  
Mal nodded  
Hades: "There is something you aren't telling me"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "I wanted your opinion without this information first, because once I tell you this you will tell me to forget what Mother said..."  
Hades: "What is it?"  
Mal: "True Love"  
That was too much  
First, his children there, Maleficent without magic, his daughter accepting his help and calling him 'father', asking for his help, blushing, and now this  
Hades: "True Love?"  
Mal nodded  
Hades: "This day is a constant plot twist"  
Mal laughed a little: "You would love Belle's library"  
Hades: "You call her Belle?"  
Mal: "Well in my head yes.. once I said it out loud to her"  
Hades: "I guess the True Love Factor changes everything. It's magic, and you are bonded. You won't hurt him. I guess this explains the part of the curse 'their death will hurt in a very deep and disastrous way'... you know what True Love implies"  
Mal nodded and seemed to relax, she looked him in the eyes and for the first, he didn't saw any hatred in them  
Mal: "Thanks again"  
Hades nodded: "When do you leave?"  
Mal: "Tomorrow at dawn, now it's too late. I don't want to walk during the night again"  
Hades: "Fine by me. I like having you two around"  
The day proceeded and Hades couldn't be any happier  
Carlos and Mal told him about Auradon and Mal told him that she wasn't the only one to care about someone, the school and everything else  
Then they went to sleep, they needed to rest properly for the walk


	25. The Isle (Part 4)

It was almost dawn, Carlos was the only one sleeping  
Mal and Hades were looking at the moon  
Hades: "How are you, Mal? Princes and crazy mothers aside"  
Mal looked at him, she had been wrong, he did care. Hades had accepted them in the Cave, he cooked for them, he even listened to them talking about Auradon, he helped her...  
He was asking because to him it mattered  
Mal: "I don't know. Sometimes I forget all those awful stuff that happened to me... Then someone while talking gets a little closer to me and accidentally touches me and I'm there all over again.."  
Hades nodded: "You should talk to someone about this"  
Mal gritted her teeth, she knew who he was talking about: "I'm talking to you"  
Hades: "You know what I mean. Now that you live in the land of Happily Ever After and all those sparkling things... you have a chance"  
Mal: "A chance to what? Be normal?"  
Hades laughed: "Honey, you'll never be normal. I don't want you to be normal. No. I meant a chance to be happy, to let go a little of the life your mother put you through" he turned to look at her "You deserve it. And if that means talking to one of those, why the hell not?"  
Mal was thinking about it when they heard Carlos  
Carlos: "It's almost dawn, we should get ready to go"  
Mal nodded  
Hades: "I'm coming with you if you don't mind. I need to go to the market anyway"  
Carlos: "Sure. I'll introduce you to Jane" he was smiling, clearly happy to let Jane know a parent that wasn't crazy  
Mal rolled her eyes: "Fine with me. Even better, nobody will try anything if you are with us"  
Mal, Carlos, and Hades walked faster then Maleficent, so it was obvious that they would arrive at the market of the Reformed Part before noon  
It took about 3 hours to get to the SeaPart  
Mal: "Let's go say hi to Uma"  
They went to Ursula's restaurant but they weren't there  
Carlos: "The process"  
Mal nodded  
They went to the square and they found Uma there  
Uma: "Hey there, you came"  
Mal: "Of course"  
Uma: "She is inside the prison, the process begins in 2 weeks"  
Carlos nodded  
Mal: "Can I see her?"  
Carlos didn't expect it, nor did Uma  
Uma: "Why?"  
Mal looked at Hades who nodded: "I need a mother-daughter talk"  
Carlos: "What?"  
Hades: "Son, let's go to the market. Mal will join us later"  
Mal: "Thank you father"  
Hades nodded and almost dragged Carlos away  
Uma: "All right, shrimp. I'll walk you to the cell"

* * *

Maleficent was in the cell when she heard someone call her name  
Maleficent: "Listen, little squid, I already told you I won't talk"  
She turned to see her daughter  
Maleficent smiled: "I knew it. You came to save me. What did you do to the guards? Did you kill the little squid?"  
Mal shook her head: "No Mother. None of that. I'm here to talk, I won't help you"  
Maleficent: "You are a disappointment. I created you. You were supposed to be evil. To be the worst of the worst. The curse. What went wrong with you? Carlos is Cruella's fault. But you. I did everything I could.."  
Mal was angry now: "Are you done? I never said I'm not evil. I assure you I'm not all good. Do you want to know what went wrong with me? You. You made me hate you. Do you think I would help the person that killed, assaulted, and beat me? You threw me at Gaston's sons. I'll never forgive you, I'll hate you forever."  
Maleficent had listened: "What did you want me to do? What do you suggest"  
Mal: "You idiot, you should have made me hate someone else. You should have taught me how to be evil" she took a deep breath "It doesn't matter. I'm here to tell you that your process will be in a few weeks, Carlos and I will come probably. Cruella is here too, somewhere. The Castle is mine now"  
Maleficent: "So what?"  
Mal: "If your trial frees you, you have nowhere to go. I thought that you wanted to know that"  
Maleficent laughed: "You can't stop me from going in"  
Mal smirked evilly: "Can't I? Did you forget who you are talking to?"  
Maleficent: "What did you do?"  
Mal: "You'll know"  
Mal started to step back to go away  
Maleficent clenched to the bars: "MAL WHAT DID YOU DO?"  
But Mal didn't listen and left  
Uma: "You okay, shrimp?"  
Mal nodded: "Do you have her books?"  
Uma: "We have everything that belonged to those psychos"  
Mal: "Can I see it?"  
Uma nodded and lead the way towards a room full of stuff that looked a lot like trash  
Mal used a spell to shrink everything and then put it in her pocket: "I'll give it to FG, it's probably dark magic plus garbage"  
Uma nodded  
They exited the building  
Mal: "I'm going to the market. See you Uma"  
The two girls hugged

* * *

When Jane woke up, she saw Evie standing at the window like some owl  
Jane: "Evie, what's wrong?"  
Evie: "The rain. It killed someone" her voice was empty  
Jane sighed, it was awful.. but Evie was too worried, like someone she knew had died  
Jane: "Was it someone you knew?"  
Evie: "That's the problem. We don't know"  
Jane was confused now, a quick look at the room and she understood that Evie was talking about her and Jay  
Jane: "I don't understand"  
Jay: "Nobody in this Part died, nor in the SeaPart. The only innocents that could die now are Carlos and Mal. We don't know if when the rain started they were somewhere safe... if they were in the wrong part of the Isle..."  
Jane: "But Uma said they were in the Forest"  
Evie: "Nobody truly knows how the Forest works"  
Jane got up: "We have to do something"  
Evie: "We can't. We have to wait..."  
Jay: "Actually there is a way to see if they are okay"  
Evie: "We can't put her life at risk"  
Jay shook his head: "The mirror"  
Jane: "Of course, if the mirror works it means that Mal is alive"  
Evie: "Mal would never leave Carlos while it's raining. They are in the same place for sure"  
Jane nodded and picked her mirror  
Her mother appeared a few minutes later, but there was something weird, the mirror didn't look the same  
Jane: "It's not Mal's magic... this trace is weird. Look" she gave the mirror to Evie  
Evie: "Hades. Oh, thank you Gothel! They are with Hades"  
Jane: "Are you sure?"  
FG in the meantime didn't know what had happened: "What's going? What happened to Mal? Why are you blue? You usually appear in purple"  
Evie: "Sorry FG. Jane explain. I'll go help with breakfast"  
Jane smiled: "We have breakfast?"  
Evie: "Yes"  
FG was more confused than ever: "What's going with breakfast?"  
Evie left and Jane started to explain  
Jane: "Yesterday there was nothing to eat, mom. Anyway back to the magic of the mirror, we were worried about Mal and Carlos because yesterday it rained.. and well. This rain is different from ours... if you are touched by a drop of the rain..you can die. Someone died yesterday but we don't who, we were worried it could be Mal or Carlos. But they are with Hades luckily. I guess Mal was too tired and Hades helped with the magic"  
FG: "You didn't eat yesterday?"  
Jane: "There was no food..."  
FG: "But today you do?"  
Jane nodded  
FG: "What did we do?" she wasn't talking to Jane  
Jane: "Mom... it's worse than I imagined... I'll let you see it when I come back... but this... This has to stop. Now"  
FG nodded: "We'll find a way to make it right. Now go eat, you must be really hungry"  
They said their goodbyes and Jane went to the kitchen  
Grimhilde: "Goodmorning Jane, how are you?"  
Grimhilde and Jafar had welcomed her in their house so easily that Jane felt at home with them. They were kind, smart, funny, and not at all evil and vicious like Audrey used to say when they were children and she wanted to scare her  
Everything they did was for Evie and Jay.  
When Grimhilde and Jafar looked at each other or their kids there was nothing but pure love.  
Jane: "Goodmorning, I'm fine thank you. How are you?"  
Jafar had a bandage on his wrist: "Very well, thank you"  
Grimhilde was shaking his head: "He is so stubborn, he keeps trying to see if the rain hurts and every time it's the same"  
Jafar: "I'm telling you it didn't hurt like last time"  
They were bickering now  
Jay: "They are getting worse with age"  
Evie nodded  
Jafar: "Hey! What are you talking about?"  
The four of them started to laugh  
Jane smiled: "You all are so cute"  
Grimhilde smiled at her with affection  
Jafar: "All right, enough of the cuteness. Let's eat"  
They ate between laughs their breakfast  
Jane was about to ask what they were going to do on their last day when they heard people screaming  
They ran outside to see a crowd near the market  
Jane: "What's going on?"  
Jay: "Let's find out"  
They got near the crowd, Jafar was the taller and he saw the cause of the commotion  
Jafar smiled: "Hades!" and he waved at someone, he turned to Grimhilde "It's Hades. I think I saw Carlos with him"  
Grimhilde was smiling too: "What a nice surprise. We'll invite them to lunch and dinner"  
Jane wasn't sure if she should be happy: "Hades at the market?"  
Jay laughed seeing her face: "The man gotta eat. Don't worry. He's nice"  
Hades had been able to see Jafar and was approaching  
Carlos: "Guys!"  
Jay started running towards Carlos and tackled him on the ground, Hades looked at his son and shook his head  
Hades: "Jafar, Grimhilde, how are you this fine day?"  
Jafar laughed and hugged him, Hades hugged him back awkwardly  
Grimhilde: "It's Friday and we are fine. How are you?"  
Hades retracted from the hug and smiled happily: "Very well"  
Then he noticed Evie, she was searching for someone in the crowd  
Hades: "She is talking with Uma, she'll be here soon. It's about Maleficent's process"  
Evie nodded  
Carlos and Jay joined smiling  
Carlos was hugged by Grimhilde, Jafar, and Evie  
When Carlos looked at her, still smiling, Jane started blushing  
Carlos: "Dad, this is Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter"  
Hades looked at Carlos and then at the blushing girl with a smirk: "Of course, the lovely Jane. I heard a lot about you"  
Carlos rolled his eyes but kept smiling, Jane had never seen him this happy  
Jane shyly smiled at the God of the Afterlife: "Hello"  
Hades: "Don't worry I don't bite"  
Jane smiled: "I'm sorry, it's just... it's weird to meet an actual God. It doesn't happen every day, you know"  
Hades laughed: "You are right. But Carlos told me all about your adventure in the Moors, you are quite powerful"  
Jane smiled blushing: "Thank you.."  
Hades understood the problem: "You can call me Hades"  
The mirror called  
FG: "Jane are you coming back?"  
Hades: "Oh so that's the magic Mal was doing"  
FG was confused, she hadn't heard Hades's voice in 20 years: "Who is that?"  
Jane smiled: "Hades"  
FG was shocked  
Hades went near Jane and waved  
Evie: "MAL!" and ran towards someone  
Hades watched the girl ran into the crowd  
Jay followed his sister  
Carlos pouted: "Not cool. Why do I get only one bear hug while she gets two?"  
FG: "Carlos is there too?" she had recovered from the shock  
Jane nodded: "Mal is here too"  
She heard someone yell Mal's name in the mirror  
FG disappeared for a minute and then came back  
Jane: "Was that Ben?"  
FG smiled: "Yes, he is excited to see you all again"  
Jane laughed: "Of course, all of us"  
She saw Mal approaching  
Jane: "Here comes Mal. I'll call you later"  
The call ended  
Ben: "Is Mal okay?"  
FG looked at the boy with a smile, in the past three days he had been a mess  
The school was closed, FG didn't want to risk anything so they were all together in the Castle  
Doug and Lonnie were here at the Castle with Ben, they knew what had happened and had tried to distract the future King  
FG: "She is fine. They will probably have lunch there and then come back here"  
Ben's body relaxed for the first time  
Belle entered the room and saw Ben's face  
Belle: "Is it Mal?"  
FG: "She is okay. They are together now, they will come back today"  
Belle smiled happily: "Well that's wonderful news. I'll send the car immediately"  
FG: "No, let's wait"  
Ben: "Why?"  
FG: "They got together just now. Also, Evie and Jay would probably like some time to prepare and say their goodbyes properly. Jane will call when they are ready"  
Belle nodded: "Of course, you are right FG"  
Ben nodded too  
Mal: "Hello Jane, how are you?"  
Jane: "I'm fine. What about you?"  
Mal was about to answer when they heard a scream  
The inhabitants of the Isle turned to stone, they were all searching for the danger  
Then started other screams, the mothers picked their children and ran in their homes, men took their knives to defend themselves  
Mal turned to Grimhilde: "Bring her inside and protect her"  
Evie: "I'll go and guard the entrance"  
Jane: "What's going on?"  
Grimhilde: "Come with me" she dragged her away  
They entered the house  
Grimhilde: "Go upstairs and close the windows"  
Jane did as she was told and then came downstairs to find Grimhilde with a shotgun  
Jane was surprised  
Grimhilde: "A gift, from the hunter. Nobody will hurt you I promise"

* * *

At the market  
Mal and Jay were on one side while Jafar, Hades, and Carlos were on the other  
Evie was hidden in an alley near her house to guard it  
Jay: "What is going on?"  
Mal: "No idea"  
Jafar: "I don't understand"  
Carlos: "I think I do"  
Hades: "Who?"  
A man appeared in the middle of the market square, he was with at least 15 men  
The man: "Come on! Don't hide. I know you are here Mal"  
Mal and Carlos on the opposite sides of the market recognized the man immediately: "Gaston"  
Gaston: "Come on Mal! I know you are a brave little girl! I remember the first time I met you. You were 2 years old. You were so cute."  
Hades was getting angry  
Mal looked at him, then turned to Jay: "Go to Carlos and tell him to get the bow and take down some of those"  
Jay: "What are you going to do?"  
Mal: "I'll go and teach those dudes how to do an entrance"  
Jay nodded, he trusted and knew her. She was going to be okay. So he started running through the stalls, he picked a bow and some arrows  
Mal waited for Jay to refer the message, then she got out of her hiding place  
Mal smirked: "Gaston, old friend. What brings you here this beautiful day?"  
Gaston smiled at her: "Mal, you look beautiful like always. I heard rumors that you were back and I was very much disappointed. You didn't pay me any visit"  
Mal: "I apologize. But here I am." she opened her arms like she wanted to hug and then let them fall to the sides of her body  
Gaston: "I see you. How are you?"  
He was getting closer, some of the men were following him, others weren't  
Luckily Carlos was a very silent hitman, he took down those who had stayed behind. Jafar, Jay, and Hades picked their bodies and hide them in the alleys  
Mal: "Tired but overall well. What about you? I heard about Eddie"  
Gaston's smile dropped: "Of course you did. I know you buried him in the Forest. Also, your mother was the one who killed him.. but I guess you know that too"  
Mal nodded, her smile dropped too: "She is in the prison now"  
Gaston: "Oh I know that"  
A few meters divided them, Carlos in the meantime had taken down 4 more men.  
They were still outnumbered, 8 men vs the five of them  
Gaston: "But it's not enough, is it?" he smiled again "I mean Eddie was the weakest son I had but he was still young and learning, he could have become a strong man... if not for his connection with you. Maleficent killed him because of you."  
Mal's guilt resurfaced immediately at the memory of Eddie's body, Gaston was right  
Gaston took another step towards her but Mal wasn't listening anymore  
She was the cause of it, her mother had killed Eddie for her  
When the knife touched her skin she didn't even feel it, she got back to reality only because she heard Carlos's yell  
She took a step back and touched her cheekbone, blood was running on her face, she heard an intake of breath that wasn't hers  
Ben

* * *

Ben was sitting on the couch when he heard someone screaming, he got up immediately  
Doug: "Woah, what's up?"  
Ben looked at him: "Didn't you hear the scream?"  
Lonnie looked worried: "Nobody screamed, Ben"  
Ben confused sat down again  
 _15 minutes later_  
Ben: "Ouch!" he touched his cheekbone and found blood  
Ben: "What the..?"  
Doug: "What?" he looked at Ben's hand "What did you do?"  
Ben wasn't listening anymore: "Mal is danger"  
Doug: "No, Ben. She is fine."  
Ben shook his head, got up, and ran upstairs, he entered the library  
FG and his mother were there  
Belle: "Ben what is it..?" then she saw his hand "Oh my! Ben, what happened to your hand?"  
Ben: "It's not my blood" he looked at FG in the eyes "Mal"  
That was all that he could say before fainting  
Belle, FG, and Doug around him  
FG: "He's boiling with fever"  
Belle: "Adam!"

* * *

The fight was going on for a while now  
Carlos was trying to get to Mal but he couldn't  
Mal was fighting alone with Gaston  
Jay, Jafar, and Hades were fighting with two men each  
Carlos was fighting with one of Gaston's son, Julian, he was 17  
Julian: "Your sister is going to die"  
Carlos laughed: "As if that ever stopped her from coming back and kicked your asses"  
Julian was taken aback a little and Carlos took advantage of that to take him down, he wasn't dead... yet  
He was about to run towards Mal when he saw Hades down  
Carlos: "DAD!"  
Terrified he ran to help his father  
Hades: "I'm fine Carlos. Go help your sister"  
Carlos: "You are hurt. We are already outnumbered"  
Together they fought  
Mal had fought a lot during her life, she knew that this particular fight wasn't going very well  
Not for her anyway  
Gaston: "You have no idea how long I have waited to have you like this"  
She was catching her breath when she saw a shadow near Gaston, the shadow she had seen only in her worst moments. Ben. She smiled  
Gaston: "Why are you smiling like that? You bitch! You are going to die"  
He took his sword and tried to hit her but she moved quickly  
Mal got up and the shadow got through her, her magic woke up giving her the strength she needed.  
Mal: "That never stopped me before, Gaston"  
She took a sword and started fighting again  
Gaston had wasted his force, he had taken advantage of her state of mind to hurt her badly, Mal had just got her strength renewed, she knew that now she had the advantage  
Mal: "I think that we both know I'm not going to die today"  
She heard someone behind but too late  
Julian with a long knife  
Two hands trapped her  
The sword passed through her stomach and she saw through Ben's eyes for a second  
Then darkness took over


	26. The Isle (Part 5)

Carlos, Hades, Jafar, and Jay had won their fight and were running when they saw it happen they stopped  
The four of them yelled  
Jafar fell on his knees, he was hurt badly  
Hades and Carlos were ready to kill and started to run again  
Mal looked at Julian who was smiling and fell on her knees  
She heard Gaston laugh  
Gaston: "Good job Julian! I knew I could trust you!"  
She spat blood  
Gaston and Julian had left their swords to fall, sure that she was dead now  
She grabbed Gaston's sword, lifted it, and stabbed him with all the strength she could master  
He didn't expect it  
Since they were hugging, the sword trespass them both  
She withdrew the sword and let it fall  
Hades and Carlos were there now  
Carlos: "Mal" he was sobbing  
Hades held her when she fell on the side  
Mal was smiling, she knew it wasn't very reassuring, she could feel her blood on her lips  
Mal: "I'm fine. You know it.." she coughed a little "Jane" then she was out

* * *

Evie got out of the alley when she heard Carlos, Hades, Jafar, and Jay yelling  
What she saw was horrifying  
She couldn't think  
Mal with a sword through her middle, on her knees, she wasn't dead but Evie knew it was only a matter of time  
She started walking and then she was running  
She had seen her mother opening the door and falling on her knees crying and silently screaming but she had to help her friend  
She saw Mal killing Gaston and someone else and then fell again  
Hades and Carlos arrived before her, Hades was holding Mal, she was saying something and Carlos looked up  
Evie: "Mal"  
Carlos: "Jane?"  
Evie: "Inside, she is fine"  
Hades: "She passed out... we need to get a doctor"  
Carlos: "Nobody can do anything"  
Hades looked up, distraught: "We have to try. She is dying"  
Carlos: "Dad, she can come back"  
Hades stopped rocking back and forth: "Oh right"  
Jay and Jafar were there too  
Jay: "Let's bring her inside and call Anastasia"  
Hades picked Mal up, Jafar ran to find Anastasia

* * *

Grimhilde was on the ground, the shotgun was forgotten, with Jane that was crying  
When Grimhilde saw that they were coming she got up and opened the door  
Grimhilde: "Anastasia"  
Evie: "Dad got it"  
Grimhilde nodded  
Jane was in shock, Carlos lead her into the kitchen, Evie grabbed the metal table they used in these cases  
Jafar and Anastasia got inside when Hades was laying Mal on the table  
Anastasia: "What happened this time?"  
Jay explained it all  
Anastasia nodded  
Anastasia: "Did you see her fight?"  
They all shook their head  
Evie: "I saw her down at one point but then she got up, she seemed fine so I went back to guarding the house.." a hiccup escaped her lips  
Grimhilde put an arm around her shoulder  
Anastasia: "Alright, I'll visit her. Transfer her to the kitchen"  
Jane and Carlos got out, they transferred the table in the room and Anastasia closed the door  
Jane was crying silently, she couldn't stop  
Evie went to hug her  
Hades was looking at his hands, there was his daughter's blood  
Jafar: "Hades"  
Hades perked up, he looked lost  
Jafar: "Let's go get clean up. Jay, Carlos you too"  
The four-man left to go upstairs to get change  
A noise startled Evie and Jane, the mirror  
Grimhilde was looking outside the window with the shotgun in her hands  
FG: "Jane! What happened? Is Mal okay?"  
Jane: "How do you know?"  
FG: "Ben was boiling with fever until two minutes ago... now he is awake... why are you crying?"  
Jane started sobbing, Evie took the mirror and got up  
Evie: "FG, is Ben all right?"  
FG: "Yes, he is upset but overall fine, why?"  
Evie smiled reassured: "Gaston started a fight in the market... Mal.. got hurt badly. Anastasia is visiting her but... I don't think she will make it"  
FG: "What do you mean?"  
Evie: "She is dying"  
Through the mirror, she heard some gasps and someone screaming nonsense  
FG: "Why are so calm about it? Bring her here. I'll send the car. An ambulance"  
Evie shook her head: "I remind you that this isn't the first time Mal dies"  
FG: "Oh right. Of course, I forgot.." then she realized something "A fight? But is Jane all right?"  
Evie: "Don't worry. We were all at the market but when the fight started, Jane, my mom, and I came into the house. Jane is fine. My father, Carlos, Hades, Jay, and Mal stayed to fight"  
FG smiled: "Why is Jane crying?"  
Evie: "Well what she saw wasn't exactly nice, FG. Mal is hurt pretty badly"  
Anastasia opened the door at that moment  
Anastasia: "She is indeed dying. Unfortunately, it won't be an easy death, she is out now. I guess half an hour it's how long it will take" she looked at Evie "what are you doing with that?"  
Evie turned the mirror so that Anastasia could see FG  
Anastasia looked confused for a second, then got closer and saw FG  
FG: "Hello Anastasia"  
Anastasia: "Oh hello there" then she looked at Grimhilde "You should change her once she is dead, she is still bleeding. She is bleeding to death"  
Grimhilde nodded, FG was distraught, to say the least hearing this  
Anastasia looked in the mirror: "You know, I understand why you put the curse on the villains, but the kids? The kids are innocent. I had to verify her death so many times I lost count... hers and others... They don't deserve the pain"  
She looked at Evie and Grimhilde: "See you on a happier occasion soon, I hope"  
The men came down the stairs  
Jafar seeing the kitchen's door open: "What did she say?"  
Evie: "She is bleeding out and she can't stop it"  
Carlos: "She hates bleeding out"  
Hades: "How many times did she die?" he sat on the couch where Jane was crying  
Carlos: "Hundreds... I think she has a diary where she keeps tracks of them"  
Jane: "Why?"  
Jay and Carlos said it together: "It's Mal"  
Evie: "Jane honey, why don't we go upstairs to take a bath?"  
Jane: "A bath? Mal is dying in the kitchen! And we are doing nothing, not even there with her. She is in the kitchen, dying alone... How is it normal?"  
Evie: "Jane, you heard Carlos, Mal herself told you that she died many times. It isn't the first time. This is normal for us, Jane. You came here, knowing well the risks. Mal came here knowing the risks, why do you think Ben isn't here? She knew that if Ben had come, he would have thrown a tantrum like you are doing now"  
The mirror's call was still going  
Evie: "This is no fairytale. There aren't unicorns here. I'm sorry Jane if the prison your people made isn't as happy as you wanted. This is no vacation. Here take your mirror, that was a gift from Mal. All of this happened because Mal wanted to help you."  
She gave the mirror to Jane and then went to the kitchen, to attend to her best friend  
Jane was standing there, speechless with the mirror in her hands  
FG was silent too because both of them knew that Evie was right  
Grimhilde sighed: "I guess nobody here is hungry"  
Jay and Carlos perked up at that  
Carlos: "Actually I could eat"  
Jay nodded  
Grimhilde: "Hades?"  
He shook his head  
Jafar: "I'm kind of hungry. But the kitchen.."  
Grimhilde: "I'll go to the market and then ask Drizella if I can borrow her kitchen"  
Jafar: "I'll go with you, Grim"  
Hades got up: "I'll go for a walk"  
The three adults left  
Jane: "I'm sorry, Evie.. she is right" she looked up  
Jay and Carlos looked at her briefly, in Carlos's eyes she saw disappointment  
Jay: "You should talk with your mother"  
The two teens entered the kitchen  
FG: "Jane, honey?"  
Jane: "Yes, mother?"  
FG: "How are you?"  
Jane: "Tired. I've stayed here for 2 days and a half and I'm tired..."  
FG nodded: "It's not your fault"  
Jane: "Does it matter? I.. came here to understand them but the truth is I'll never be able to. Nobody in Auradon will ever understand this, because our life is so different..."  
FG: "Sweetheart"  
Jane: "I'll go apologies... call you later"  
FG: "Wait Jane. We want to see Mal"  
Jane: "What?"  
FG: "Belle, Ben, Doug, Lonnie, and I want to see what Mal's condition is. We want to see her"  
Jane nodded and opened the kitchen's door  
Evie looked up, she had been crying  
Jane: "They want to see her"  
The three teenagers raised an eyebrow  
Jane: "To try and understand your reality, your normality"  
Carlos understood first and nodded: "I can help with that, give me the mirror Jane"  
Jane passed him the mirror  
He took it and said a few words, his eyes glowed, then he brushed the mirror almost like he was caressing it, the mirror expanded  
Jay helped Carlos putting the mirror on one of the walls  
From the mirror to the Isle FG, Doug, Lonnie, Belle, and Ben could be seen  
From the mirror to Auradon a little kitchen could be seen, Evie, Jay, Carlos and Jane were there, the two boys looked beaten up but fine; they were in front of the table hiding something  
Jay: "Prepare yourself and don't scream, she is sleeping"  
The four teens move aside  
Belle almost fainted  
Doug and Lonnie looked ready to puke  
FG simply kept crying  
Ben looked like he had seen the most terrifying thing in the world, he was silent, he took a step forward and touch the mirror from his side and whispered something  
The kids of the Isle couldn't blame them, Mal wasn't exactly her usual herself  
She had several cuts, the cut from where she was bleeding out was large, she looked like a ghost  
When Ben had whispered though some color seem to return to her face  
Mal opened her eyes and groaned  
Everyone looked at her  
Evie: "Mal"  
Mal: "I'm bleeding out, am I not?"  
Carlos chuckled  
Mal: "I hate bleeding out, damn... how long?"  
Evie checked her watch: "20 minutes"  
Mal grunt and coughed blood  
Evie: "Maybe less"  
Mal: "It's too long"  
Evie, Carlos, and Jay sighed, they looked at each other, at Jane, and then at the mirror  
Carlos: "I think you should wait"  
Mal: "I think you should shut the hell up, Carlos. Do it. Now"  
Ben: "What is she talking about?"  
Mal sat on the table and looked at the mirror: "Ben?"  
It was clearly painful for her to be in a sitting position  
Belle: "You should rest, Mal"  
Mal tried to laugh but managed to cough blood instead: "Bloody hell. Your Majesty, I'm dying only to wake up again, I don't need to rest. I need to die now"  
She got up  
Evie: "Wait, Mal, not in front of them"  
Mal looked confused: "So it's okay for them to watch me bleeding out but not dying fast?"  
From the mirror came another voice  
Adam: "Mal?"  
Mal turned to the mirror, the blood was getting to the lower part of her body now that she was standing  
Mal: "Yes?"  
Adam: "What happened?"  
Mal: "I got a sword in my stomach, Adam"  
Adam: "Why?"  
Mal: "Because of your actions" she coughed again and smiled, she showed her hand to the King "See? Now if you will excuse me, this death is too long, I need to make it quick"  
She took a knife  
Mal: "Do you want to see it?"  
Everybody shook their head  
Mal: "Weaks. Fine. See you"  
She left to go to the bathroom  
Ben: "Where is she going?"  
Evie: "The bathroom, she is going to lay in the bathtub and.. end the agony.." then she remembered something "Mal, wait a second"

* * *

Mal was in the bathtub, ready to end it when she heard Evie  
Evie came in running: "Oh thank Gothel!"  
Mal: "What is it?"  
Evie: "We need to arrange the travel back home"  
Mal: "Oh right that" she grimaced "Tomorrow morning. An ambulance for me I guess"  
Evie nodded: "Ok" with that she left

* * *

Evie came back in the kitchen: "I asked her about going back"  
FG: "What did she say?"  
Evie: "Tomorrow morning. An ambulance for her"  
FG nodded  
Carlos's eyes glowed: "She is dead"  
Ben wasn't in the mirror anymore  
Jay: "I guess that's it. Carlos" he nodded to the mirror  
Carlos brushed the mirror that shrank back, he gave it to Jane and left  
Jane looked at Evie: "I'm sorry"  
Evie: "I know. Me too. I shouldn't have yell like that. I was right but it's not your fault. It's like when I see something you have had in Auradon since.. always and I react weirdly"  
The two girls hugged  
Jay: "Yeah yeah, it's all nice and dandy but let's get working. Jane, you want to help?"  
Jane: "Sure, what do we have to do?"  
Carlos came back with a lot of stuff typically used to clean  
Jay: "We need to clean the kitchen from the blood, the stairs too, and the floor in general" he looked around "Evie and Jane the kitchen. I'll do the floor of the living room and half the stairs, Carlos the other half and the floor that leads to the bathroom."

* * *

Grimhilde, Jafar, and Hades came back to find the house clean of the blood  
Jafar and Grimhilde being used to it entered the house, Hades entered too but looked around  
Hades: "What...?"  
Grimhilde: "They cleaned the blood, Jay and Evie know how much I hate cleaning blood off the floor"  
Evie came down the stair: "Here you are, I've sent Jay to look for you"  
Grimhilde: "Sorry honey"  
Hades looked at Evie with a question in his eyes  
Evie softly told him the truth: "She is dead. She is in the bathtub, now. I was waiting for you, mom."  
Hades looked ready to scream: "What are you going to do?"  
Grimhilde: "We wash her and then put some clean clothes on"  
Hades nodded  
Grimhilde: "I'll set up the table so who wants can eat"  
Jay and Carlos came in  
Jay: "Here you are"  
Carlos: "Food?"  
Jafar yelled from the kitchen: "In here!"  
The two boys ran into the kitchen  
Evie went upstairs  
Grimhilde set the table and went upstairs too  
Jane entered the kitchen, sat and started eating  
Jafar: "How are you, Jane?"  
Jane: "I'm okay... I'm sorry about the scene before... truly sorry"  
Hades looked at her and then smiled: "Jane, don't worry. It was the first time for me too. I've killed and saw people dying before but never my daughter. Your reaction was normal from someone outside the dome"  
Carlos still didn't look her in the eyes  
Hades noticed Carlos's tension but said nothing  
Jay nodded  
Jafar: "When are you going back?"  
Jay: "Tomorrow morning"  
They finished dinner, they were all very tired  
Grimhilde and Evie came down and ate something  
They stayed up a little bit more and then went to sleep


	27. Lily Love

Ben was exhausted  
Mal had been on the Isle for a day now and nobody knew if she was okay  
He missed her  
He was in his room, on the bed staring at the ceiling  
Where are you, Lily Love?  
He couldn't think about anything else  
You would be a liability  
That is what she had said  
He understood it, he didn't know the first thing about a true fight, whenever he got in a fight with someone they would yell sure but nothing more  
On the Isle when they got in a fight... he had seen it from Mal's memory when they shared a dream.. people got killed  
A knock  
He got up to open the door  
FG  
Ben: "Goodmorning FG, how can I help you?"  
FG: "Ben, I would like to talk about the dreams and the connection you have with Mal"  
Ben: "Now?"  
FG: "Not now. This afternoon"  
Ben: "Fine"  
FG, noticing Ben's mood: "If you don't feel like it, we can do it another time"  
Ben shook his head: "No, it's ok. I need a distraction"  
FG nodded and then left  
 _Lily Love..._

* * *

Ben reached the library where he knew FG was  
Ben: "FG, I'm here"  
FG: "Oh Ben, here you are! I have wonderful news, Mal and Carlos are okay. Jane, Evie, and Jay met Uma, who told them she had crossed paths with Mal and Carlos during the night."  
Ben smiled like it was Christmas: "Where are they?"  
FG: "They are with Hades, in the Forest. Uma met them in the Evil Part, she took custody of Maleficent, Jane doesn't know why and she didn't ask. You know what that means?"  
Ben: "They'll come back tomorrow" He felt so relieved he almost started dancing  
FG nodded  
FG: "Now, let's talk about your connection. I'll just ask you a few questions"  
Ben nodded  
FG: "When did you start dreaming about her?"  
Ben: "I was 8 years old. But 'dreaming about her' seems the wrong term... I don't dream about her, I dream with her. It's like.. we fell asleep and we found ourselves in a room, or my mother's garden, an alley... we find each other in our dreams"  
FG: "Interesting. Did you always know that she was real?"  
Ben: "Nono. At first, I thought that she was just a dream. It was funny" he chuckled a little "when we would meet during the time we thought they were just dreams we used to fight" now he truly laughed  
FG was confused: "What do you mean?"  
Ben: "I'll tell you what happened once. We were near my swimming pool, I was 9 I think, I was sitting there with my feet in the water when she came near me. She was so angry. She came to me and said 'What are you doing here again? I told you to stop pestering me!?' and I told her 'Look, this is my pool, that Castle is my home. It seems like you are the one pestering me.'" he shook his head with a smile "The next dream we shared terrified me. I had never seen a room darker than that one, I entered because I heard her talking, she was sitting there alone, on the walls there was blood.. so I asked her what she was doing there, she jumped at my voice and I still remember her eyes, there was so much fear in them... she got up and got closer, she looked behind me and said 'Shh, don't make noises or she'll come back. Mother doesn't like intruders' I asked her who her mother was, but it was like I already knew; she looked at me and said 'Maleficent. If she sees you, she'll kill you. You are from Auradon, right?' I simply nodded"  
Ben got up and went near the window  
Ben: "At that moment I understood that Mal wasn't a dream, that she had known for a while now and that our life would have never been the same"  
FG: "Why did you never speak of these dreams with your parents?"  
Ben: "My dad didn't speak of the Isle very fondly, once when I was 10 I asked him about the kids of the villains, he looked at me and told me that the kids of the villains deserved to be on the Isle because they were evil too. You can imagine why I didn't want to tell him about Mal" he turned to look at FG "She was my best friend, she still is, and I would never do anything that could hurt her. When he told me what he thought of the kids of the Isle, I knew I couldn't trust him with her safety"  
FG: "Ben, your father would never harm kids"  
Ben shrugged: "I'm not sure about it. If one of them turned out to be bad, he would have treated them as a villain"  
FG: "Maybe, but you are his son. He cares about you, he would have listened."  
Ben: "Does it matter now? I didn't tell anyone about her. Now she is here"  
FG: "You are right. Now can I ask you how did you connect with her the night she and Carlos escaped their mothers?"  
Ben: "I don't really know how I did it. I had a cold, I was in my room and I remember feeling her presence there with me, I closed my eyes and I heard her calling me so I let myself go with her, next thing I know I'm in the Isle and Mal is there in her room, I understood immediately that she needed to go away; I checked where Maleficent and Cruella were, and I told her what to do, when she was safe, away from those monsters I knew that my job was done"  
FG: "Mal was the only one who could see you?"  
Ben: "Yes, I tried to speak with Carlos but he couldn't see or hear me"  
FG nodded: "I think that once Mal is home again we could try this connection to see if it's something triggered by you feeling her need of help, or if it's something you both can control"  
Ben nodded  
Lumiere came into the library to tell them that dinner was ready and they followed him

* * *

 _The next day_  
Ben, Belle, FG, Doug, and Lonnie were in the living room  
Adam was in his office working  
FG was talking with Jane  
Jane: "Mal is here too"  
Ben: "Mal? Mal is there with Jane?"  
FG laughed a little: "Yes, they are at the market"  
Doug and Lonnie distracted him again, but there was no need, Mal was okay, she was coming back  
The call ended, FG and Belle went to the library while the tree teenagers stayed in the living room  
A few minutes passed when Ben heard someone screaming  
Then the blood  
Then the fever again  
Mal was in danger

* * *

Ben was on the Isle again  
Mal was on the ground, she looked up to met his eyes and smiled, she had seen him  
He smiled at her  
She was in a fight with someone and she wasn't winning, he had to help her  
She moved quickly away from the man (Gaston), that was the moment to act  
He passed through her and she got her strength back, she was ready to fight again but she heard someone approaching behind her and she turned... too late  
Mal and Ben's shadow looked down to see a sword

* * *

Ben was in his room again when he felt something trespass his stomach  
He opened his eyes and saw his parents, friends, and FG  
He felt nauseous  
He closed his eyes again and heard someone screaming, it wasn't his name, someone yelled Mal's name, he was seeing someone in front of him, he resembled someone he had seen before and a male's voice: Gaston  
He opened his eyes again to find again his parents, friends, and FG  
Ben: "Mal, she got hurt"  
Then he was out again  
Mal was dying again  
He knew that she was going to come back, it wasn't the first time  
Once she had died when they were dreaming  
Apparently, Maleficent was bored and entered her room and killed her  
It didn't help too much

* * *

There she was  
She was beautiful even while laying on that table  
Then she was gone again  
He couldn't blame her, she knew what was coming and she didn't want to wait in pain  
The next day he would see her again

* * *

Finally, Mal was coming back home  
He went downstairs, in the kitchen he found his parents  
Belle: "We are waiting for FG, she'll call Jane, and then we can send the ambulance"  
At that moment FG came in, she sat down at the table  
FG: "Let me regain my breath and then I'll call Jane"  
A few minutes later she was calling  
Jane: "Hey mom" they heard a weird noise "Sorry, give me just" there was a crash "a minute"  
Belle: "Is everything all right, Jane?"  
They were all reunited around FG, to see the mirror  
Jane: "Yes, here I am. Sorry, there was a problem with the.. ehm.. with Mal."  
Ben: "Did she wake up?"  
Jane: "Not yet. But mom?"  
FG: "Yes darling"  
Jane: "I think it's best if we wait for her to wake up here... we don't know if she can come back to Auradon.. what do you think? Carlos said that the curse would still work there"  
FG: "Carlos is right. The curse was put before bringing them inside the dome. Mal will survive"  
Jane: "Oh. Yeah, Grimhilde had said something about it but.."  
I didn't want to think you would do something like that that was what Jane thought  
FG: "I know.." I was wrong that was what FG thought  
Jane: "Ok, send the ambulance in.. let's say an hour"  
FG nodded  
Jane: "See you in an hour and a half"

* * *

The call ended  
Jane: "I told them to send the ambulance in an hour"  
Evie nodded  
Jay: "Well, let's pack then"  
They packed all their stuff  
Hades brought Mal downstairs and laid her on the couch  
Jane couldn't stop staring at her  
Mal was even paler than usual, there was no color in her face, her lips were starting to regain their color, she wasn't breathing. Her body was more relaxed now

* * *

Carlos had approached Jane that morning  
 _Carlos: "How are you?"_  
 _Jane had looked up: "I've been better... what about you? Is Mal...?"_  
 _Carlos had shaken his head: "Still dead, but she is coming back"_  
 _Jane: "How do you know?"_  
 _Carlos had smiled a little looking at the floor, then had looked at her: "Come with me"_  
 _She had followed him upstairs, in the bathroom_  
 _Carlos had moved a little Mal's T-shirt: "Look at her wound, it's close now"_  
 _He had looked at her in the eyes for the first time since the day before "Also she isn't as cold as yesterday, try to touch her"_  
 _Jane had taken a step back causing Carlos's laugh_  
 _Carlos: "Give me your hand"_  
 _Jane had done as told_  
 _Carlos had taken it, gentle, and had put her hand on Mal's hand_  
 _Jane: "Woah, she is cold"_  
 _Carlos: "You have never touched a body, have you?"_  
 _Jane had shaken her head_  
 _Carlos: "They are colder than this. Plus, Mal has always been colder than usual"_  
 _Jane nodded: "I noticed"_  
 _Carlos had been about to say something when he had gotten distracted_  
 _Jane had looked where he had been looking: "What is it?"_  
 _Carlos: "Her body. It relaxed. Can you see it?"_  
 _Jane had looked and seen that Carlos had been right_

* * *

Carlos: "What are you thinking?"  
Jane smiled: "Nothing... it's weird... I can't take my eyes off of her"  
Carlos: "It's not weird. Actually, it's normal"  
Jane looked at him with a raised eyebrow  
Carlos laughed: "It's some sort of magic about the curse. Evie stayed up all night to watch Mal the first time she died since we came to live here, it wasn't because she was worried when I asked her why she was watching Mal's body like that, she looked at me and said she didn't know"  
Jane: "Interesting... we should ask my mom"  
Carlos nodded: "Listen... I wanted to apologize for yesterday"  
Jane: "Apologize?"  
Carlos: "When you reacted so badly at something I always found normal... I saw how different we are and I didn't like it..."  
Jane blushed: "It's okay... I shouldn't have.."  
Carlos shook his head: "No, you were right. You came here to try to understand and of course, you didn't expect to see Mal die... The first time it happened I remember I didn't even have time to think if it was normal..." He sat on the couch near Mal's body and took his head between his hands "We are so messed up... Mal and I... we don't even know what's normal. I'm a weirdo"  
He wasn't crying, he was overwhelmed by the situation, the last days he had lost a friend, almost killed his mother trying to make her powerless, got in a fight, and his sister got killed...  
Jane: "You are not messed up" she got closer to him "You had a rough childhood, Carlos. You are different, that doesn't make you a weirdo. It makes you special because you are here. You survived what many people could never. You are brave. Kind. Selfless"  
Carlos had looked up, he was looking at her in the eyes, he smiled: "Thank you, Jane"  
They were interrupted by Jay coming downstairs  
Jay: "We are ready, the hour has passed. It's time to say goodbye"  
Grimhilde had packed food for them  
Jay: "Mom, we have food there"  
Grimhilde: "Is it better than my cooking?"  
Jay thought about it  
Grimhilde: "Jayden, are you saying that you prefer their food?"  
Jay seriously: "Actually no. Yours is better"  
Grimhilde had been kidding but hearing her son say it made her smile, then she looked at Jane: "I made this for your mother, it's her favorite"  
Jane smiled and nodded  
Hades was talking with Carlos  
Hades: "Will you two come back for the trial?"  
Carlos: "I don't know if Adam will let us"  
Hades: "It's your mother's trial. You have to put that woman in jail for the rest of her miserable life"  
Carlos smiled: "I'm sure that Mal will convince him"  
Jane was surprised: "Carlos, I noticed that you and Mal call Belle and Adam by name. I do it because I know them since I was born, why do you do that?"  
Carlos: "It's pretty simple. They have no authority over us, they aren't our King and Queen."  
Jane: "Oh right"  
Grimhilde: "You should show them some respect nonetheless. They are the rulers of a nation"  
Carlos: "They let us in here far too long, they aren't getting any respect from me..." then he seemed to think "Maybe Belle, since she is nice and showed us that she is truly sorry but Adam... he saw our scars and yet he treated us like villains"  
Jane: "Carlos is right. I'm not sure I respect Adam and I am kind of one of his subjects"  
Jafar: "Enough of this"  
Hades nodded  
The goodbyes started, with lots of hugs, sobs (Jafar), and smiles  
They all went near the dock where the gates were  
The ambulance could be seen  
Mal was in Hades's arms, he was looking at her and rocking softly while humming a lullaby  
The ambulance arrived and behind it, there was a limousine  
The guards clearly didn't expect to see Hades, but seeing the God so focus on the girl in his arms calmed them  
Jane, Evie, and Jay went in the limo, Carlos was going in the ambulance with Mal  
Hades didn't let anyone touch Mal, he put her on the stretcher, kissed her on the forehead and said something in a foreign language, then hugged again Carlos and left  
Carlos got in the ambulance and took his sister's hand


	28. Back In Auradon

The trip back to Auradon was short, they arrived in an hour  
FG had speed up magically the means of transport  
Carlos watched Mal's progress while the nurse looked at him in confusion  
He got bored so he looked up to meet her eyes: "What's up?"  
The nurse: "I'm sorry but.. what's wrong with her, the monitor shows that she has a heartbeat every 10 minutes and she isn't breathing.. maybe we could do something.."  
Carlos: "You can't. This is a curse and I'm pretty sure that medicine isn't that progressive yet. I understand it's weird. She'll wake up when she is ready"  
That closed the conversation  
The driver: "We'll arrive at Castle Beast in 20 minutes"  
Carlos: "Perfect, thanks"  
Sure enough, two of Mal's heartbeats after they had arrived  
The nurse opened the door, she pulled out the stretcher and the driver got closer to Mal  
Carlos: "What do you think you are doing?"  
The driver confused: "Picking her up?"  
Carlos: "There is no need. I'll do it"  
He picked Mal up and started walking towards the Castle  
Jay: "Hey there. Any progress?"  
Carlos: "She is warmer and she has more color to her face"  
Jay nodded  
Evie: "She seems more relaxed"  
The Castle's doors opened and Ben ran towards them  
Ben: "How is she?"  
Carlos, Jay and Evie: "Still dead"  
Ben nodded: "Let's bring her inside"  
They got inside  
FG, Belle, and Adam were waiting in the living room  
FG ran to Jane and hugged her  
FG: "Oh Jane I missed you so much"  
Jane smiled: "I missed you too"  
Belle noticed their bags: "What's in there?"  
Evie smiled: "Food. Our mom loves to cook and she thought it was a good idea. She has something for you, a way to say thanks for the second chance Ben gave us"  
Belle: "I can't wait to try your mom's cooking"  
Adam was about to say something and Jay saw it  
Jay: "What? She didn't poison it if that's what you were going to say"  
Belle and Ben looked at Adam with a scowl  
Adam looked at the floor and sat down  
Carlos: "Sorry to interrupt but I have a body here. Where can I put her?"  
Ben: "I arranged a room upstairs" he looked at Carlos "If you are tired..."  
Carlos: "I can bring her upstairs"  
Ben nodded

* * *

Ben: "Here it is"  
Carlos got inside the room and stopped for a second: "What is this?"  
Ben: "Well I talked with my mom and we thought it was a good idea to prepare you a room to stay. I mean, it's nice to have you all in my room but I thought that you may want some privacy so..."  
Carlos put Mal on the bed with purple sheets and turned around to look at Ben  
Carlos: "To stay here? But we have a room at Auradon Prep"  
Ben nodded: "We were thinking about holidays during which the school is closed"  
Carlos: "Holidays? What are those?"  
Ben: "I'll explain later. Do you like it?"  
Carlos: "Your mother just gained my respect. Yes I like it"  
Ben: "My dad doesn't have it, does he? Your respect I mean"  
Carlos shook his head: "He lost it the moment we came back from the Moors"  
Ben nodded: "I get it" he sighed "Let's go downstairs"

* * *

Jane: "Grimhilde said that this was your favorite"  
She gave her mother the food container, FG took it with trembling hands and opened it  
Whatever she saw moved her, she brought a hand to her mouth  
FG whispering: "She remembered"  
Jane: "Mom wait, there is a note here. It's for you"  
FG read the note and half laughed and half sobbed  
She took the pie out of the container and put it on a plate, then she took a knife and started making slices for everyone  
Jane: "You never eat apple pies"  
FG shook her head: "They made me think of my friend. The one I thought lost"  
Jane smiled  
Evie and Jay listened to FG talking about their mother with Jane while eating the pie  
Belle and Ben were trying another pie with Carlos while also listening  
Adam was in his office  
Evie: "We should check on Mal"  
Carlos nodded but then looked horrified: "Oh no!"  
Evie looked at him: "What?"  
Carlos: "I forgot the bucket"  
Evie and Jay's face morphed to be the same as Carlos's  
Ben: "The bucket?"  
Evie turned to FG: "Could you conjure a bin, please?"  
FG did it, Evie took it and followed Carlos upstairs  
Jay finished his pie and then: "If you'll excuse me" and left  
Ben looked at Jane: "What..?"  
Jane: "No idea"  
Belle: "Let's go and find out"  
They all went into the room where Mal was

* * *

Evie: "She is still dead but it shouldn't take long for her awakening"  
Jay: "Put the bin to her left"  
Ben entered the room: "What is going on?"  
The trio looked at them  
Carlos: "You shouldn't be here"  
Evie: "It's going to get messy and gross.. at least for your standards"  
Belle: "What is going to get gross and messy?"  
But she hadn't ended her sentence that they heard a weird noise  
They all turned to look at Mal  
Ben: "She is..?"  
Carlos: "Yep, she is reborning"  
FG: "Reborning?"  
Carlos: "She called it like that many moons ago"  
Mal's body started moving, she got in a sitting position, her eyes closed  
Jane: "That's weird"  
Then Mal opened her eyes and blindly took the bin and threw up  
Belle: "That's why you needed a bin"  
Belle and FG wanted to help the girl but a look from Evie told them to stay where they were  
Mal started coughing and then stopped  
They heard a sigh  
Carlos got closer: "Mal. You are in Auradon. You got killed by Gaston and died. Now you are safe"  
Mal looked up from the bin, her lips slightly redder then normal, she looked around the room like checking to see if there was any threat and then relaxed  
Carlos: "FG, the bin"  
FG made disappear the bin  
Mal: "Puppy?"  
Carlos smiled: "I'm here Vio"  
Mal: "I'm hungry"  
Carlos nodded: "I know, we'll get you something to eat" he turned to look at Belle "She needs meat"  
Belle nodded and went into the kitchen  
Evie got closer too: "How do you feel?"  
Mal: "Like someone impaled me with a sword"  
Jay: "That is pretty much what happened"  
Mal nodded and got up to stretch  
FG: "Is something else going to happen?"  
Carlos: "No"  
Jay: "Well, it was nice like always but now I'd like to go back to what I was doing before. Eating"  
Mal: "I second that motion" she looked at Ben and smiled "Hello Benny Boo"  
Ben smiled: "Hello Mal"  
They all went to the dining room  
Mal: "Are those your mother's pies?"  
Jay: "Yes"  
Mal looked ready to eat the whole table when Belle came in with a plate  
Belle: "They prepared this steak"  
Mal started eating immediately  
Adam entered the room at that moment: "Well someone is hungry"  
Mal didn't stop eating but Carlos answered for her  
Carlos: "Almost dying is something that makes you appreciate the world more... Oh no, she actually died" He wasn't going to forgive the King anytime soon  
Adam: "Yes I know"  
Belle: "Adam"  
Adam: "I'm sorry"  
Jay and Carlos looked ready for a fight, but Evie had something to say before  
Evie: "Mal killed Gaston"  
Belle and Adam looked at Mal and then at Evie  
Belle: "She did what?"  
Evie: "He is the one that started the fight at the market. She was fighting him when Julian, one of his sons, stabbed Mal to death. Before fainting, she took the sword and impaled them both. Gaston is dead. And he didn't come back"  
Belle grabbed a chair to stay standing  
Belle: "Poor child"  
Jay and Carlos looked at Belle and then at Adam again, challenging him to say something  
Adam: "I'm sorry about that. Gaston has never played by the rules, not the right ones anyway."  
Mal had finished the steak: "It was the most tasteful steak I have ever had" She was smiling at Belle  
Belle smiled too: "Still hungry?"  
Mal: "You bet. Dying really is an activity that makes you very hungry, Your Majesty" she looked at the pies "I'll eat the pies Grimhilde made, if she finds out I didn't eat them I will be in trouble"  
Ben was looking at her, happy to see her back, he sat in front of her  
Mal looked at everybody else: "Will I have to eat everything that is on this table?"  
FG: "No, the apple pie is mine" she sat at her chair and started eating again  
Mal smiled: "That's the spirit, FG"  
Belle sat near Mal, Adam looked at his wife and his son and left  
Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Jane sat and started eating too  
Belle: "These pies are delicious"  
Evie and Jay smiled at her  
Evie: "Mom is very good at cooking even the Isle's food"  
Mal looked up to meet Ben's eyes and he blushed, he had been staring at her, she smiled and he smiled in return  
They finished the pies soon enough  
Mal and Carlos looked at Evie: "Is there anything else?"  
Evie nodded: "Mom made you your favorite" she pulled out of a bag a container "Here it is"  
Mal smiled had never been brighter as she opened the container  
Belle: "What is it?"  
Mal and Carlos: "Rotten meat-bean casserole"  
Carlos took a fork to try the casserole but Mal snatched the container out of his reach  
Mal: "It's mine. Grim made it for me."  
Jay and Evie shared a look  
Evie: "Here we go"  
Belle, Ben, Jane, and FG looked at them confused  
Carlos: "Oh come on! Just a bite"  
Mal shook her head: "Mine"  
Carlos pouted  
Mal: "I'm not giving you my casserole, De Vil. Go pout somewhere else"  
Carlos then scowled: "Give me"  
Mal: "Nooo" she got up  
Carlos got up too: "Let's fight for it"  
Evie: "Carlos. Mal just came back. She needs to rest"  
Mal nodded: "Exactly. I'm still weak" and she pouted a little  
Carlos: "As if" he punched her in the stomach lightly  
But Mal wailed and hugged herself, the container fell  
Ben got up: "Mal?"  
Evie: "Carlos, I told you to leave her being" she got up and approached Mal "Mal sit down"  
Mal sat down again and wailed again: "De Vil, look what you did. Now they think I'm weak"  
Carlos huffed  
Jay: "Enough kids" he picked up the container "Carlos don't bother your sister. Mal, are you ok?"  
Mal: "I'm fine"  
Ben: "Are you sure?"  
Mal smiled at him: "I'm super, Benny Boo. Would you like to try my casserole?"  
Jay, Evie, and Carlos looked shocked  
Carlos: "He can eat it, but I can't?"  
Mal shrugged: "I mean, you are my twin sure but with him, I share dreams you know. Plus, he didn't punch me in the same spot where a sword stabbed me"  
Carlos: "Ok, I'm sorry about the punch. Can I have a bite of the casserole?"  
Mal hummed: "I'll think about it"  
She took a knife and cut the casserole into four parts: "We can split it" She looked around "Ok, I split it with Ben, Belle splits it with FG, Carlos splits it with Jay and Evie splits it with Jane"  
Belle: "Very kind of you Mal"  
Mal: "Damn right, I just died, and here I am sharing my casserole, that was made for me, with you guys... I should get a reward or something"  
They all laughed  
When Belle, FG, and Ben took their first bite they almost spit it out, Jane had already try something rotten in the Isle so she was ready for the rotten taste  
On the other hand, the vks were eating like it was the most delicious thing ever  
In a couple of minutes, they had finished it already  
Mal: "What do you think?" she was focused on Ben  
Ben swallowed his third and last bite and smiled: "It's good"  
Mal raised an eyebrow: "It was disgusting, wasn't it?"  
Ben was taken aback: "No, of course not. I told you it's good.. why... why would you think I found it disgusting?"  
Mal smiled: "Because I know you. It's ok if you didn't like it, I get it. Here you have real food..." she looked down  
Ben reached across the table for her hand: "I didn't say it's delicious, I said it was good because I think that Grimhilde made a great job making this casserole with the food you get on the Isle. It's the best casserole I have ever had, knowing from where it came"  
Mal was looking at him, searching his eyes to see if he was being honest, when she saw that he wasn't lying she smiled  
FG, having finished her part: "Mal, we need to talk about your connection with Ben"


	29. Connection

FG: "Mal, we need to talk about your connection with Ben"  
Mal put down her fork: "Ok, what about it?"  
FG: "Well, while you were on the Isle I asked Ben a few questions, I need you to answer those same questions. We also need to experiment with it"  
Mal was wary: "Experiment?"  
FG nodded  
Mal: "Why?"  
FG: "I'm trying to understand how it works"  
Mal looked down at her plate: "Can I think about it?"  
FG was surprised, she didn't expect Mal to say no: "Well sure you can, but I think it would be helpful for you too. If you know how it works.."  
Mal: "I understand... it's just" she took a deep breath "I'm a little overwhelmed right now"  
FG nodded: "Of course Mal, I'm sorry. You can take all the time that you need"  
Mal seemed relieved and nodded  
Belle: "Why don't you go outside? Ben, show them the garden"  
Ben: "Sure, let's go"

* * *

They were walking around in the garden  
Ben: "What do you want to do guys?"  
Jay: "What do you Auradonians do usually for fun?"  
Jane: "We watch movies, read books, go for a walk, shopping. It depends on the weather"  
Mal looked up: "Why the weather?"  
Jane: "Well if it's raining we don't go for a walk"  
Mal: "Oh. I didn't know that the rain hurt here too"  
Ben stopped in his tracks but the others didn't notice until he talked  
Ben: "What do you mean? The rain doesn't hurt"  
Mal turned around with a frown: "But Jane said that you don't do walks if it's raining...if it isn't because it hurts, why then?"  
Ben looked at Jane and then at Mal  
Evie: "Mal, here the rain doesn't hurt"  
Mal understood she had said too much: "Oh"  
Ben: "The rain hurts on the Isle?" he seemed truly upset  
Mal looked at him: "Yes, it hurts. In the Evil Part more than anywhere else. In the Forest, it depends on who you are. Hades got hurt only the first time. I went there once when it was raining, I didn't get hurt"  
Ben: "What happens?"  
Mal: "The rain is acid. In the Reformed Part and the SeaPart you get burn, Evie for example" she pointed at Evie's arm  
Evie showed Ben her scar  
Ben: "What happens in the Evil Part?"  
Mal: "It depends..."  
Ben: "Mal, what happens?"  
Mal: "You can die, if the rain hits your head.. you die. Cruella once died because of the rain"  
Ben looked ready to puke  
Jay: "Yeah bad stuff happens... let's talk about something more fun. Jane, here the rain doesn't hurt why don't you touch it?"  
Jane: "It's just.. it isn't very comfortable to go around wet"  
Carlos: "The rain, what is it?"  
Jane: "Water"  
The vks looked fascinated, they sat down  
Evie: "Tell us more"  
Mal: "Yeah, I remember that when I was little from my balcony I could see something white... Ben, you called it.. oh what was it...?"  
Ben smiled: "Snow"  
He and Jane sat down too  
Mal and Carlos: "Ohh.. and what is it?"  
Ben: "It's also water but more solid"  
Since they looked truly interested Ben explained to them what was snow, how it worked, what was the difference between snow and rain  
Ben: "You'll see it in December"  
Mal and Carlos looked confused and turned to Evie and Jay  
Jay: "December is winter"  
Carlos nodded  
Mal: "When it's cold?"  
Jay: "Yes Mal, when it's very very cold"  
Mal looked a lot like a little girl when she asked this kind of question, maybe because she never got to be a little girl but it was even cuter  
Ben smiled  
Mal: "That's when you were born, right?"  
Jay nodded and smiled  
Mal: "Carlos and I were born when it's very hot.. what is it called?  
Ben: "Summer"  
They heard someone calling them, they turned to see Lonnie and Doug  
Lonnie: "Oh my! You guys are back. Mal! How are you?"  
Lonnie had come close enough and tried to hug Mal but Mal, being who she was, reacted quickly, she moved away and looked at Lonnie like she didn't recognize her  
Lonnie's smile dropped  
Evie was close to Mal and send a reassuring smile to Lonnie  
Evie: "Mal" the younger girl looked at her "Lonnie wanted to hug you. You can trust Lonnie, remember?"  
Mal looked at Lonnie again, warily, then something changed in her gaze: "Oh, sorry Lonnie"  
Lonnie: "Did I do something? Are you angry at me?"  
Mal shook her head: "No, it's my fault. When I come back I'm always more.. reactive"  
Carlos nodded: "Once she accidentally almost killed Cruella"  
Lonnie and Doug looked troubled at that  
Lonnie: "So you actually died, huh"  
Jay: "How do you know?"  
Ben: "They were here when I.. ehm when Jane told us about the fight"  
Doug: "Yeah, but before you got the blood on your hands and the fever, don't you remember?"  
Ben grimaced  
Mal looked troubled: "You got my blood on your hands? Why didn't you tell me?"  
Ben looked at her: "Well you saw me on the Isle, didn't you?"  
Mal: "Yes, but I didn't know since when you were there" she was getting angry "That is why FG wants to do that experiment. How much have you told her?" she got up  
Ben: "What's wrong with telling her?"  
Mal: "Maybe you could have talked to me about it before since it's about me too"  
Ben got up too: "Ok, I made a mistake. I should have talked to you but you were on the Isle. And you didn't ask me about going there"  
Mal scoffed and took a step back: "I don't have to ask your permission to go back home"  
Ben: "Once you told me that I was your home!"

* * *

Lonnie whispered at Evie: "What is going on?"  
Evie: "I don't know.." she looked at Carlos "Carlos, what are you doing?"  
Everyone beside Mal and Ben looked at him, he was eating some snack  
Carlos: "What? I'm hungry"  
Evie: "Do you really think that this is the right time to eat?"  
Carlos was confused: "Yes?"

* * *

Mal: "I told you you were my home because you were the only one I could trust with my thoughts and my fears... You have just lost that trust"  
Ben gaped: "Why? Because I told FG?"  
Mal: "Tell me what you told her"  
Ben angrily: "I told her when I started dreaming with you, that at first, we thought they were just dreams, how I helped you escape. Then she asked me why I never told anyone"  
Mal was angry but when Ben said the last thing she looked surprised: "Wait. You never told anyone about me? Not even your mother?"  
Ben calmed down a little: "Not a soul"  
Mal whispered: "Why?"  
Ben smiled a little: "I wanted to protect you. When I understood how my father felt about the kids on the Isle I knew that I could never trust him with your safety. My mom is different but she couldn't do anything. Since I'm 10 years old I have known that I had to bring you here, and I knew that my father would have done anything to stop me so I did my research, I wrote my proclamation when I was 14 years old and I waited until it was time"  
Mal's expression was blank, she didn't know what to think  
 _He cared.. he always had..._  
Mal took a step towards Ben, who looked surprised  
The others were confused (Lonnie and Doug) and a little scared (Carlos, Evie, and Jay)  
Jay was ready to get up and stop Mal if she were to try and attack Ben  
Mal's eyes were watering: "It seems like you saved me again, Little Prince"  
Ben smiled: "You saved me first"  
Mal smiled too: "I'm sorry... it's just... I don't know" she shook her head confused  
Ben: "It's okay. I really should have talked to you before talking to FG... and you didn't have to ask me about going to the Isle... it's just... I want to help you more than with my shadow"  
Mal: "Ben I.."  
Ben smiled: "I know you think I would have been a liability and that I would have endangered myself but.. it sucks to be on the bench" he shrugged  
Mal: "It isn't just that..." she wanted to say something but then she seemed to remember that they weren't alone and she looked at their audience, Ben looked too  
Lonnie: "I think I got lost.. you aren't angry at Ben anymore?"  
Mal shook her head  
Lonnie: "Cool, now will you explain the whole death thing?"  
Mal and Ben sat down again  
Mal: "Yesterday at the market Gaston and his group started a fight. Gaston wanted to kill me because Maleficent killed Eddie (one of his sons) so he approached me... I was..." she frowned "Eddie was like another brother to me, I cared about him and I had almost convinced him to come living in the Reformed Part with us... Maleficent must have known and killed him to hurt me. Gaston was in advantage, he cut my cheekbone" she turned a little to show the cut " That's why Ben had my blood on his hands... it had never happened before though" she turned to Ben who shook his head "Then I got beat up badly... that's when Ben got involved in the fight. He fainted, didn't he?" Lonnie and Doug nodded "He appeared to me on the Isle as a shadow, he gave me the strength I needed.. the only problem is that Gaston and Julian were two pieces of garbage and while I was about to put down Gaston, Julian came at me from behind and stabbed me.." she closed her hands in fists, then smirked evilly "Luckily I had a Prince with me, so I picked up the sword while they were celebrating and impaled them both at the same time"  
Lonnie looked fascinated: "So cool. So you play Tourney and you can fight with swords... you are amazing"  
Mal was taken aback by the compliment, she hadn't got many of those before, and shrugged: "I also know karate, mixed martial arts. I can fight with knives... the bow of course.. is there something else?" she turned to Carlos  
Carlos: "No, that's what they taught us"  
Lonnie and Doug turned to Carlos  
Lonnie: "You too?"  
Carlos nodded: "I prefer the bow and sword"  
Mal smiled proudly: "He took down 7 men yesterday with the bow, and they didn't even notice"  
Lonnie: "You guys are too cool" she looked at Jay and Evie "What can you do?"  
Jay: "Swords, knives, karate, and mixed martial arts"  
Evie: "Sword, knives, and karate"  
Doug: "Who taught you this stuff?"  
Mal: "Swords with Captain Hook, knives and mixed martial arts with Drizella, and karate with someone else.. what was his name?"  
Carlos: "James"  
Mal: "That one, the bow was Hades"  
Lonnie: "Right... Hades is your dad"  
Carlos nodded  
Mal tilted her head: "When did you learn that?"  
Ben: "While you were away they came here and we told them what had happened"  
Lonnie: "Ben, do you think that FG would let us use the school's swords?"  
Ben: "Well yeah I think so"  
Lonnie clapped her hands: "Then let's go and fight a bit. Let's see who's better"  
Mal smirked: "Is that a challenge, Lonnie?"  
Lonnie smiled: "You bet"  
Mal and Carlos looked at each other  
Carlos: "Then let's bet"  
Mal: "If you win you decide what we do and vice-versa"  
Lonnie: "Done"  
Ben: "Lonnie"  
Lonnie: "Yes?"  
Ben: "You do realize that 1: we are outnumbered, 2: they have been fighting their whole life?"  
Lonnie looked at Doug and Jane: "Well.. we'll figure it out. Let's see if we can use those swords first"  
They went inside and asked FG, she gave her permission but they had to come back to the Castle to play, she went with them and then they returned  
Ben: "Now what?"  
Mal hummed  
Ben: "What?"  
Mal: "Evie do you want to fight?"  
Evie: "Not really"  
Jay: "I do"  
Carlos: "I don't"  
Mal: "Done, problem solved. You decide who fights with who"  
Lonnie: "I take Jay"  
Mal: "Evie and Doug should be the judges"  
Lonnie nodded  
Carlos: "What about Jane and me?"  
Jay smiled: "You are the cheerleaders"  
Carlos looked at Jane: "Ok"  
Unbeknownst to them, Belle and FG were watching  
Lonnie and Jay started fighting  
Carlos with his best girl impression: "Go Jay Go!"  
Jay smiled: "I'm going to win, honey, just for you" he looked at Carlos  
Lonnie tried to take advantage of that but Jay blocked her  
At one point Lonnie had been very close to winning but Jay had been faster  
Doug: "Jay wins!"  
Carlos: "Yes! I knew you could do it darling" he was still talking like a girl  
Jay winked at him making everybody laugh  
Evie: "Mal's turn to make Auradon bite the dust"  
Doug, Jane, Lonnie, and Ben looked at her  
Evie: "What? It's the truth"  
Mal bowed: "Ben"  
Ben bowed: "Mal"  
Mal smirked: "I apologize if I hurt you"  
Ben chuckled: "All talk and no action, Lily Love"  
They started the fight  
Ben was stronger then Mal but she was faster and had had more practice  
Their fight lasted longer then Lonnie and Jay's  
Ben, being his usual kind self, at first had tried to not hit too strong because Mal was still recovering but seeing how Mal was doing just ok he started fighting with more conviction  
Mal: "Come on Little Prince, show me what you got"  
In the end, as Evie predicted Mal won  
Lonnie: "Next time Ben, remind me with who I'm dealing with before I do the bet"  
Ben: "Well, think about it this way. They didn't fight exactly by our rules"  
Lonnie: "True" then she looked at Mal "what do you want us to do?"  
Mal looked at Evie: "Can we play a little game?"  
Evie, that was smiling at Doug for something he had said just a second before, turned serious: "Mal"  
Mal: "Come on, it'll be fun"  
Evie: "What game?"  
Mal: "The bottle"  
Evie: "They don't drink alcohol here"  
Mal pouted for a second  
Carlos: "Throwing knives"  
Evie: "They don't know how to use a knife that way, if they get hurt we'll be in trouble"  
Mal and Carlos looked at each other and said: "Truth or Dare"  
Evie was about to answer, then she tilted her head thinking: "Yes if you don't ask them to do anything too dangerous"  
Mal and Carlos jumped like little kids  
Ben and Jane found it so cute they couldn't help but smile  
Evie: "Let's sit down in a circle and play"  
Jay: "I'll start" he looked around "Mal"  
Mal looked at him  
Jay smiled: "Truth or dare?"  
Mal: "Dare"  
Jay: "I dare you to... hug Lonnie"  
Mal scowled a little then got up: "Lonnie can I hug you?"  
Lonnie: "Sure" she got up too, smiling  
Jay: "Lonnie, wait for Mal to hug you"  
Mal took a step forward, then another and when she was close enough she put her arms around Lonnie, who responded hugging her tightly  
Then Mal quickly went back to her place and glared at Jay  
Mal: "Jane, truth, or dare?"  
Jane: "Truth"  
Mal hummed: "Do you like someone?"  
Jane blushed: "Yes" she waited to see if Mal would ask anything else  
Mal: "It's your turn now"  
Jane: "Lonnie"  
Lonnie: "Dare"  
Jane: "Dance"  
Lonnie smiled and got up to dance, everyone laughed  
Lonnie: "Evie"  
Evie: "Truth"  
Lonnie: "Now that you are here what do you want to be?"  
Evie: "I've always known what I wanted to be. A fashion designer"  
Evie: "Mal" she was smiling  
Mal hummed: "Dare"  
Evie's smile was bigger now: "I think you need to thank properly someone here"  
Mal was scared: "Oh no"  
Evie: "You have to hug and kiss Ben"  
Mal: "Evie!"  
Ben wanted very much to receive a hug from Mal but a kiss? It was too soon  
Evie: "Don't act so innocent. Besides, I meant a kiss on the cheek"  
Mal and Ben sighed in relief, she got up  
Mal: "Fine, but after this, enough of this hug-thing for me" she looked at Ben "Come on"  
Ben got up  
For Mal this was very difficult, physical touch for her was difficult but with Ben it was different. She trusted him yet hugging him was more difficult than hugging Lonnie. She took a deep breath, took two steps towards him, and hugged him, he responded to the hug. Being in his arms felt somehow right like she was meant to be there. Then she retracted a little, she stood on her toes and kissed him lightly on his cheek  
She took one big step backward and then sat down. He stood there for a second more and then sat down  
They kept playing the game for an hour when they heard a rumble of thunder, the vks looked at the sky with fear in their eyes  
Ben: "It's going to rain soon"  
The vks got up quickly but then realized that this was their first not-hurting-rain  
Mal: "Can we stay here?"  
Lonnie: "You like to dance in the rain? Me too!"  
Mal looked confused as did the others vks  
Jay: "No, we never danced in the rain. This is the first rain that we can touch"  
Lonnie looked at Jane, she explained to her and Doug that on the Isle the rain hurts  
Mal jumped: "It's raining"  
The four looked up surprised  
Evie raised a hand to the sky: "It's cold"  
Jay smiled  
Mal and Evie spun around themselves and started laughing  
Mal with wonder: "It doesn't hurt at all"  
Doug: "You'll see tomorrow when you get the cold"  
The four looked at him worried  
Ben reassured them: "It's nothing serious, not like on the Isle"  
Evie and Mal started spinning on themself  
Then Carlos started running around  
Jay just stood there  
Ben: "Maybe now we should get inside"  
Belle: "Kids! Get inside before you catch something!"  
Mal turned to Ben: "What can we catch?"  
Ben: "She is talking about the cold"  
Mal: "Oh" then she smiled at him  
Ben smiled too, he approached her: "Can I do something?"  
Mal nodded  
Ben took her hands carefully and he started to run with her in a circle, they started laughing  
Evie watched them and took Doug's hands: "Can we do it too?"  
Doug nodded  
Jay looked at Lonnie and smiled, he took her hands  
Carlos came back and took Jane's hands  
They were all laughing like little children  
Belle and FG were watching with a smile on their faces  
Adam was there too: "What is going on?"  
Belle looked at her husband: "They are having fun"  
Adam looked at Ben: "He is really happy with them"  
Belle: "He is"  
Adam smiled: "I'll go inside and ask Lumiere to prepare the movie theater, and Mrs. Potts to make some hot cocoa"  
Belle smiled: "Great idea"  
The kids were coming back, she noticed that Evie was still holding Doug's hand  
Mal held Ben's hand until she saw Belle watching, then she let go, Ben looked at Mal confused but Mal was looking down  
Ben: "What..?"  
Mal: "Nothing.."  
Ben: "You ok?"  
Mal nodded  
They had arrived under the porch  
Belle: "Go upstairs and change in some warmer clothes"  
Lonnie and Jane were going to borrow something from Evie and Mal, while Doug borrowed something from Ben  
When they were ready they went downstairs to find Belle and Adam there to wait  
Ben: "Dad? What are you doing here?"  
Adam smiled: "I thought it may be a good idea to watch a movie together, Lumiere prepared the movie theater and Mrs. Potts prepared the hot cocoa"  
Ben smiled: "Really?"  
Adam nodded  
Mal was just behind Ben: "What's hot cocoa?"  
Ben looked at her still smiling: "It's the best thing in the world, you'll love it. I promise"  
Mal took in Ben's enthusiasm and smiled too: "Fine, let's try this hot coco"  
Ben laughed: "Hot cocoa"  
Mal: "Whatever"


	30. Hot Cocoa

Adam: "Let's go then"  
Carlos: "Excuse me. You are coming too to this.. movie and hot cocoa party?"  
Adam looked at Carlos and the other vks: "Yes Carlos. I understand that I lost the little respect you had for me but I want to make it up to you. I was wrong and I apologize.."  
Carlos: "See that's the problem. Why should we accept your apology? We came here because your son made a proclamation to give us a second chance, now let's think about your mistakes: the first time you wronged us was the day we were born inside that Isle, the second time was when you learned about us and yet you decided that we were evil, the third was when we arrived here and you didn't apologize, the forth was when Mal and I risked our lives for you and when our mother was laying there on the grass and you decided that she wasn't going to enter your Castle because you are afraid of magic. We came here and we showed you what the Isle had done to us and we vowed to you to try to forgive you but you have done nothing that makes us want to forgive you"  
Mal: "Carlos" she warning him  
Carlos: "What Mal? Isn't it true?"  
Mal was looking at Belle and Ben: "It's the truth but it doesn't matter now"  
Carlos looked betrayed: "He is the cause for all our pain"  
Mal looked at Adam and then at Carlos: "I know and he will pay the price for it, but we won't be those who will make him pay. Carlos, that isn't why we are here"  
Carlos looked at Mal: _What is going on?_  
Mal: _We are here so that other children from the Isle can come here. I'm sure that Adam is already paying for what he has done_  
Carlos huffed: _I'm not forgiving him_  
Mal: _Me neither. I don't think we will ever forgive him, I'm just saying that I don't intend to spend the rest of my life ruining his. When we can do whatever we want here_  
Carlos huffed: _Fine, you are right_  
Mal nodded  
Everyone had seen the silent conversation happen  
Jane: "Did you sort the problem out?"  
Mal: "Yes, we did" she looked at Ben who was looking at the ground "So, this hot cocoa you were talking about, Little Prince?"  
Ben smiled again but his enthusiasm wasn't there anymore  
Belle: "Let's go to the movie room"  
The group went to the movie room  
Lonnie: "What are we going to watch?"  
Belle: "The DVDs are there"  
Lonnie picked up the pile of DVDs and sat on of the armchairs  
Doug, turning towards the vks: "Do you have any favorite movie?"  
Jay: "We never saw a movie. Evie and I know about them because our parents told us."  
Adam was about to apologize but Mal stopped him  
Mal: "I don't think movies are worth an apology, Adam. There are more important things than movies"  
Adam nodded sadly, Belle murmured comforting words to him  
Lonnie: "Ok, then... what do you think about One Hundred and One Dalmatians?" she looked at Carlos  
Carlos noticed that she wasn't the only one watching, everyone but Evie, Jay, and Mal was looking at him  
Carlos: "Why are you looking at me?"  
Jane: "That's your mother's movie"  
Carlos looked confused: "Cruella is in that movie?"  
Jane: "Well not exactly Cruella, but it's about her story"  
Carlos looked at Mal, who shrugged, then looked at Lonnie: "Fine by me"  
They put the DVD on and sat  
The movie room had three rows of armchairs, each with 5 armchair  
First row: Lonnie, Jay, Carlos, Mal, Ben  
Second row: Doug, Evie, Jane  
Third row: Adam, Belle, FG  
Lonnie had the control: "What about the hot cocoa?"  
Adam: "Mrs. Potts will bring it when it's ready"  
Mal turned to look at him: "Does she need any help?"  
Everyone, except Evie, Jay, and Carlos, looked surprised  
Adam: "Help?"  
Mal: "Yes. Help, Adam. It's when someone can't do something so someone else does it or does something to make it possible for the person in need to do the thing. So, does Mrs. Potts need help to bring those hot things here?"  
Belle: "It's very nice of you Mal, but she can do it on her own"  
Mal nodded and turned to look at the TV  
Adam whispered: "She wanted to help Mrs. Potts bring here the hot cocoa.."  
Belle smiled: "She has been helping her brother her all whole life, Adam. Not only Carlos but others too."  
Adam nodded  
A few minutes later Mrs. Potts arrived, Mal and Carlos turned immediately, having heard her arrival, and got up to help the woman  
Mrs. Potts: "Oh hello there Mal"  
Mal: "Hello Mrs. Potts, can we help you?"  
Carlos: "We bring these.." he looked at the mugs "mugs there" he indicated the armchair where Ben was  
Mal turned to look at the others: "Why aren't you getting up to get these mugs?"  
Belle got up smiling, so did everyone else. They stood in line waiting for the mug  
Carlos started giving the mugs  
One by one they got their mugs and went to sit down again  
Mal's frown got the attention of Mrs. Potts  
Mrs. Potts: "Mal, dear, what's wrong?"  
Mal turned to look at the woman and smiled: "Nothing... I just don't understand what is there to like about getting inside this dark room while we could be outside"  
Mrs. Potts chuckled  
Mal whispered: "Tonight can I come again in the kitchen?"  
Mrs. Potts whispered too: "Of course dear, I'll wait for you"  
They shared a smile full of secrets  
Ben noticed it: "Mal?"  
Mal took her mug and went to sit again next to him  
Ben: "What were you talking about with Mrs. Potts?"  
Mal: "None of your business, now this hot cocoa... it's a beverage" she was looking at it with suspicion "Is it good?"  
Ben smiled: "Try it, or does it scare you?"  
Mal huffed: "As if. I'm sure I've drunk weirder stuff then this"  
She looked at Carlos, Jay, and Evie, they shared a nod and took a sip at the same time, their eyes got bigger almost immediately  
Evie smiled and took another sip  
Carlos and Mal kept drinking it until they had finished it  
Jay drank it and shrugged: "Not bad but I prefer coffee"  
Carlos: "What are you talking about? This is delicious" Jane giggled  
Mal: "I think you are both right. I like this thing but it's too sweet..." Ben rolled his eyes  
Evie: "I'm with Carlos on this one"  
Ben: "Well now that you are here you can try all this kind of stuff"  
Belle, being her curious self, had to ask: "What did you drink in the morning on the Isle?"  
Mal: "When there was the chance I usually drank something similar to your coffee, it was at times more liquid or thicker, usually very bitter"  
Carlos shook his head: "I prefer sweet stuff, I drank something similar to this, but it was more liquid"  
Jay: "I drank the same as Mal"  
Evie: "I drank what Mal had but I put something to make it sweeter"  
Belle nodded  
Lonnie: "Can we start the movie, now?"  
The movie began  
The vks looked at it with more attention then the others, it was their first movie after all  
When the movie ended the Auradonians waited to see their reaction  
Evie: "Movies are really cool"  
Carlos and Mal were very serious, Jay was watching them carefully  
Ben: "So, what do you think?"  
Mal's hands were closed in fists so tight her knuckles were white  
Carlos looked lost and angry  
Evie: "Mal. Carlos. Ben asked you a question"  
Mal relaxed her hands and Carlos came back from wherever he had been  
Carlos: "Well, it was like hearing her telling us the story all over again"  
Mal was still silent, she got up and left without saying a word  
Ben got up too but Carlos stopped him  
Carlos: "Let her go. She needs to stay alone"  
Ben looked at him: "What's wrong?"  
Carlos smiled and looked older than he was: "Memories. They are too heavy sometimes"  
Everyone had noticed that Carlos and Mal sounded older sometimes  
Ben sat on the armchair

* * *

Mal entered the kitchen  
Mrs. Potts was there: "Mal? What are you doing here?"  
Mal smiled sadly: "The movie wasn't that good"  
Mrs. Potts: "What movie did you watch?"  
Mal: "I don't remember the name, it's about Cruella"  
Mrs. Potts smiled sadly too: "What did you think about my hot cocoa?"  
Mal: "It was very good, but I prefer bitter stuff" she jumped on the banter  
Mrs. Potts: "Bitter stuff for a bitter soul?"  
Mal: "Exactly" she sighed "Oh, Mrs. Potts how I wished I had met you before. You understand me better then anyone else, it's like you read my mind"  
Mrs. Potts laughed: "Oh my dear girl, I wished I had met you before too" she got near Mal "Why don't you help me with dinner?"  
Mal: "What are you cooking?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Lasagna and something else... what do you suggest?"  
Mal thought about it: "Meat?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Steak?"  
Mal shook her head  
Mrs. Potts picked a book from the shelf and gave it to Mal: "Here. These are my recipes, choose one while I start taking what we need for the lasagna"  
Mal: "Question. The lasagna, is it with meat?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Yes, it can be made with meat."  
Mal: "Why don't we do the lasagna with the meat and then something with vegetables?"  
Mrs. Potts: "You are right, Mal. We do that, pick a recipe with vegetables"  
Mal: "What do you think about this one? Baked broccoli with chili bread"  
Mrs. Potts: "Perfect, and the dessert?"  
Mal grimaced: "You eat so much here"  
Mrs. Potts looked sad: "Did you feel like puking again?"  
Mal shook her head: "It's just... hard to get used to this life"  
Mrs. Potts nodded: "I understand. We'll do something light"  
Mal sighed in relief and nodded  
They started cooking and Mal began to feel better

* * *

Ben: "Where is she?"  
They had been looking everywhere, outside, in the living room, in the library, in his room, in the room that now was of the vks  
Carlos: "Ben, if Mal doesn't want to be found, you won't find her. It's pretty clear to me that right now she doesn't want you to find her"  
Ben: "The rose garden" he ran out to the garden  
Evie: "He doesn't get it, does he?"  
Jay: "He isn't used to this like we are... I guess that in their dreams she didn't escape"  
Carlos shook his head: "If this is how he reacts, I don't think they will last"  
Everyone looked at him  
Carlos: "What?"  
Jay: "Nothing.. but you are right"  
They were in the living room with Doug, Lonnie, and Jane  
FG, Adam, and Belle were somewhere else, probably the library  
Jane: "She escaped often?"  
Carlos: "She didn't exactly escape. It started when we were 6 years old, whenever Hades took me to his cave she went missing, Maleficent didn't care too much"  
Jane horrified: "6 years old?"  
Carlos looked at her confused by her interruption: "Yes, 6 years old"  
Jane: "She was 6 and went alone around the Isle?"  
Carlos: "Yes, Jane are you even listening?"  
Evie: "Carlos, here it's weird for a little girl to go around alone"  
Carlos looked at Evie confused: "Why? She was able to kill if she needed it"  
Evie smiled: "Again, weird"  
Carlos rolled his eyes: "Fine. Anyhow, can I continue?"  
Jane nodded, Lonnie and Doug were listening too  
Carlos: "When we escaped from the Castle, she went away less often. Then we moved in the Reformed Part and she went away at least once every three months"  
Jane: "But where does she go? What does she do?"  
Carlos: "Don't know. I never ask."  
Jay: "At the beginning we asked, she never answered, my mom didn't like it but she had to accept it"  
Jane: "She is kind of a free spirit, huh"  
Carlos: "Mal? Yes. I guess the fact that Maleficent and Cruella were so rigid led to her need for freedom"  
Jane: "Why don't you escape?"  
Carlos: "I never needed to escape, when I was a child I had my dad, then when we lived in the apartment I felt freer and with Grim and Jafar, well it was home"  
Jane: "And now?" she was curious about him  
Carlos thought about it: "Well I'm here, Maleficent is over... the only thing.." he looked sadder  
Jane: "What?"  
Carlos: "Nothing, it doesn't matter"  
Lonnie: "Why don't we do something to distract ourselves?"  
Carlos sarcastically: "Like watching a movie?"  
Lonnie didn't know what to say  
Doug: "We could go outside, it isn't raining anymore"  
They went outside and found Ben in the garden  
Carlos: "Hey there buddy, you gave up?"  
Ben: "You were right. She doesn't want to be found and I have to respect that"  
Carlos smiled and then seemed to remember something: "Why don't we play a game?"  
Evie: "What game?"  
Carlos: "You must know it because I saw kids in the Reformed Part do it too, when I was a child and my dad took me to the cave, we went in the SeaPart very often and children there used to play this game. They used to hide and one of them counted till 30 and then he went searching for them"  
Jane: "You mean Hide and Seek?"  
Carlos: "Whatever. Do you wanna play? Maleficent didn't approve of these games"  
Mal: "What game?"  
Carlos turned: "Jane says it's called Hide and Seek. Do you remember when the children used to hide and then one search for them?"  
Mal: "Oh yeah" her eyes lightened up  
Ben: "Of course, let's play"  
Lonnie: "So, Mal."  
Mal: "So, Lonnie"  
Lonnie: "Where were you?"  
Mal: "In the Castle"  
Lonnie: "But where?"  
Mal: "In a room inside the Castle"  
Lonnie: "Doing what?"  
Mal: "Things"  
Lonnie: "Were you alone?"  
Mal: "I mean, can you really be alone in that Castle?"  
Lonnie: "Uff, I gave up"  
Mal smiled: "Now. This game, how do we play?"  
Doug: "You hide and I count till 30 and then I come searching for you. You need to hide very well, if you want to win you have to go where I counted. If I see you, you lose"  
Mal: "Nice. Hiding is my specialty"  
Lonnie huffed: "Clearly"  
Mal smiled  
Ben: "What are we waiting for? Let's play"  
Doug went in front of a tree and started counting, they ran to hide  
Mal and Evie ended up inside the greenhouse, Mal behind a bush and Evie behind a rock  
Ben was outside the greenhouse, behind a bush too  
Carlos and Jay were on the other side behind the limousine  
Jane and Lonnie were hidden behind the stairs that led to the door of the Castle  
Doug finished counting and started to look for them  
Doug found Lonnie and Jane pretty easily  
Ben saw Doug going towards the cars and decided to hide inside the greenhouse between a bush, there he found Mal  
Ben whispering: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Yes Ben, that's my name, now shut up and hide"  
Ben chuckled softly and got near her: "From here you can see Doug. You really are good at hiding"  
Mal: "Told you"  
Ben looked at her, she was a mystery, sometimes she would be cold as a stone and other times she would be so sweet it melted him, like now. She was so focused on this game like it was a matter of life and death, she was acting like a child  
Mal looked at him sideways: "What are you staring at?"  
Ben: "You"  
Mal: "Why?"  
Ben: "You look cute when you act like this"  
Mal turned to look at him properly: "Act like what? And did you just say that I'm cute?"  
Ben: "You're acting very childish. And yes you are cute"  
Mal turned to look at Doug with a smile: "How dare you say I'm cute"  
Ben smiled and turned to look at Doug too  
Doug had found Jay and Carlos, now he was coming towards them  
Mal: "If you move, I'll kill you"  
Mal and Ben sat there, frozen  
Doug entered the greenhouse and looked at their bush, then proceed along the path  
Ben was about to move when Mal grabbed his hand, he turned to look at her, she shook her head, he waited  
Doug was still too close, he was proceeding towards the rock where Evie had been but she had moved behind a bush now  
Mal was still holding his hand  
Doug was looking behind the rock  
Mal let go of his hand and started walking silently towards the door of the greenhouse  
Ben looked, amazed by her graceful steps, he turned to see if Doug had noticed her but the boy was talking with Evie  
Mal was out, she ran towards the tree and yelled: "I WON"  
Ben started laughing while getting up  
Doug looked outside and smiled  
They all went outside  
Evie: "Hey there Ben, you were with Mal?"  
Ben: "Yes"  
Evie: "Why didn't you ran out with her?"  
Ben blushed: "I got distracted"  
He said the truth, Mal had distracted him.. like always  
Mal was now jumping up and down with Carlos, Jay was watching them with a smile  
Belle interrupted them: "The dinner is ready"  
They went inside happily


	31. Mrs Potts

Mal entered the kitchen  
They were about to kill Maleficent, she hated the woman and killing wasn't difficult as it was once for her but somehow the idea of killing her creator didn't bring her the joy she expected  
A woman: "Hello, you must be Mal. Ben told me a lot about you"  
Mal turned quickly to see who had talked, in front of her there was a woman, not tall, her hair was a dark grey, her brown eyes were on Mal. Something about this woman made Mal feel very calm  
Mal: "Who are you?"  
The woman smiled: "Mrs. Potts, I'm the cook"  
Mal tilted her head: "Mrs. Potts... were you the one that prepared a miraculous soup that made Ben feel better when he was sick?"  
Mrs. Potts smiled warmly: "Yes, I prepared those soups. Ben told you about me?"  
Mal laughed: "Told me about you? He wouldn't stop talking about you when we were children"  
Mrs. Potts: "When you were children?"  
Mal stopped laughing: "Uhm I meant that he talks about you and what his childhood was like growing up with you"  
Mrs. Potts crossed her arms, but she didn't look angry: "Sure. It has nothing to do with sharing dreams, huh?"  
Mal was taken by surprise  
Mrs. Potts: "And those dreams didn't start when you were children, right?"  
Mal leaned a little towards her and whispered: "How do you know that?"  
Mrs. Potts leaned forward and whispered too: "Because I can hear everything"  
Mal now took a step back and raised an eyebrow, this woman was clearly human, it was impossible  
Mrs. Potts laughed: "Belle told me about your connection with Ben"  
Mal relaxed: "Oh... I didn't know that"  
Mrs. Potts: "I guess that Ben didn't tell you how close Belle and I are"  
Mal shook her head: "Not that I remember.. are you really that close with the Queen?"  
Mrs. Potts looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow: "Don't you know the story of Belle and Adam?"  
Mal huffed: "Of course I do. Gaston and his sons won't stop talking about it, but he never talked about you... you are a part of the story?"  
Mrs. Potts: "What did Gaston tell you?"  
Mal: "That he was this beautiful man in a little village, he fell in love with Belle who allegedly reciprocated him but when her father got kidnapped by the Beast she got spelled somehow.." she saw the expression Mrs. Potts had "I know the man is a buffoon. Anyhow, allegedly when Gaston tried to save Belle from the Beast, he passed for the villain, the Beast killed him and then he was on the Isle"  
Mrs. Potts: "I can't believe it.. that man will never change"  
Mal: "Believe me I know.. I grew up with him around all the time" she looked down "Sometimes he was even too close" the last part was whispered but Mrs. Potts heard her anyway  
Mrs. Potts: "You know only his version?"  
Mal shook her head: "Ben told me about a curse on the Beast, Maleficent explained it to me" Mal looked up thinking "Adam treated poorly a magic user that cursed him, he lived for years inside this Castle as a Beast, the curse was put on the servants too who were turned in objects" she looked around and then at Mrs. Potts "I guess you were one of them" Mrs. Potts nodded "Then Belle's father arrived, Belle came here to save him, she stayed here for a while and fell in love with Adam as a Beast, Gaston came, there was a fight and Adam got shot, then there was the infamous True Love Kiss and Happily Ever After for everyone.. well besides Gaston who died of course"  
Mrs. Potts: "True"  
Mal: "What were you turned into?"  
Mrs. Potts: "A teapot"  
Mal: "Oh.. and what is your relationship with Belle?"  
Mrs. Potts: "When she came here Adam wasn't very kind, she was alone and she was practically an orphan given that when she came to save her father she exchanged her life for his, she had to stay here forever and I was a motherly figure for her"  
Mal: "What about Belle's mother?"  
Mrs. Potts looked sad: "She died when Belle was a child.."  
Mal: "Oh..."  
Mrs. Potts smiled at the girl: "Well it was nice meeting you, I have to go to the grocery store" she smiled "Bye Mal"  
Mal: "See you, Mrs. Potts"

* * *

Mal couldn't sleep, she was laying down staring at the ceiling, she huffed and sat down, her gaze fell on Ben's figure  
He was sleeping peacefully  
Mal got up and went downstairs, without even noticing it she entered the kitchen  
She bent over the kitchen island watching outside the window  
Mal huffed  
She was going back on the Isle  
She couldn't stop thinking about it  
A part of her didn't want to go back there, the other knew that Auradon would never feel at home  
She had promised Ben to come back but now...  
Someone was coming, she hid behind the island  
She focused on her hearing: two people, they were talking, a woman and a man  
The woman sounded familiar, Mal recognized her  
Mrs. Potts: "Let's drink a tea"  
The man: "You and your teas" he laughed "Mom, it's just a cold"  
Mrs. Potts: "Chip, listen to your mother"  
Mal thought about it, Chip... she tried to remember if Ben had told her about him but nothing came  
Chip: "Well, it seems like someone else here wanted a tea" he had found her  
Mal got up quickly and looked at Mrs. Potts  
Mrs. Potts: "Mal?" she seemed worried "Why were you hiding there? Something wrong?"  
Mal shook her head: "I couldn't sleep, tomorrow it's a big day"  
Mrs. Potts: "Yes, I've heard" she smiled sadly "I hope that the visit will be short, I know someone that will miss you very much"  
Mal smiled and nodded  
Chip looked at Mrs. Potts: "Well, I'm Chip, but you must know it since you were there. Mal as in the daughter of Maleficent?"  
Mal: "Yeah"  
Chip smiled: "I've heard the young prince talking about you. It's a pleasure to meet you"  
He gave her the hand to shake, Mal smiled and shook it  
Mrs. Potts: "Mal, I'll make you chamomile to help you sleep"  
Mal: "There is no need"  
Chip: "It's a lost cause, you will have to stay here and drink it or she won't let you go"  
They stayed there together until Mal had finished the chamomile  
Mal: "I'll go now, thank you, Mrs. Potts, Chip it was nice to meet you. See you"  
She went upstairs and laid down  
Ben was close to her, he turned, his eyes were open: "Where were you?" he was sleepy  
Mal smiled: "I couldn't sleep so I went around"  
Ben: "You ok?"  
Mal nodded: "I'm fine, my Little Prince"  
Ben smiled with his eyes closed: "I like it when you call me like that"  
Mal: "Yeah?"  
Ben opened his eyes: "Yeah... Lily Love?"  
Mal: "Yes my Little Prince?"  
Ben: "Be careful and come back home"  
Mal: "You are my home" she had realized it when she had entered the room and went next to him  
He was her home  
They fell asleep

* * *

In the morning Maleficent and Carlos sat down in the dining room  
Mal: "I'll go and see if there's someone in the kitchen"  
When she entered the kitchen she saw Mrs. Potts  
Mrs. Potts: "Hello"  
Mal: "Goodmorning, I wanted to see if there was something to eat? Also, in the dining room, there is Maleficent"  
Mrs. Potts: "I'll prepare something immediately"  
Mal: "Thank you"

* * *

Belle: "Mrs. Potts, Mal is here and would like to eat something. Preferably meat"  
Mrs. Potts smiled: "I'll prepare it right now" she went to pick the meat from the fridge and started cooking it "How is Mal?"  
Belle smile tightened, she looked down: "She is fine now"  
Mrs. Potts turned to look at Belle: "What's wrong?"  
Belle: "She died again on that Isle and I saw her.. she was dead"  
Mrs. Potts: "Belle dear. She came back, didn't she?"  
Belle: "I know... it's just awful to think that dying for her is something normal..."  
Mrs. Potts put the steak on a plate: "You can't change her past, now you have to focus on her present. She is a wonderful girl. Go on now"

* * *

Mal entered the kitchen  
Mrs. Potts was there: "Mal? What are you doing here?"  
Mal smiled sadly: "The movie wasn't that good"  
Mrs. Potts: "What movie did you watch?"  
Mal: "I don't remember the name, it's about Cruella"  
Mrs. Potts smiled sadly too: "What did you think about my hot cocoa?"  
Mal: "It was very good, but I prefer bitter stuff" she jumped on the kitchen island  
Mrs. Potts: "Bitter stuff for a bitter soul?"  
Mal: "Exactly" she sighed "Oh, Mrs. Potts how I wished I had met you before. You understand me better then anyone else, it's like you read my mind"  
Mrs. Potts laughed: "Oh my dear girl, I wished I had met you before too" she got near Mal "Why don't you help with dinner?"  
Mal: "What are you cooking?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Lasagna and something else... what do you suggest?"  
Mal thought about it: "Meat?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Steak?"  
Mal shook her head  
Mrs. Potts picked a book from the shelf and gave it to Mal: "Here. These are my recipes, choose one while I start taking what we need for the lasagna"  
Mal: "Question. The lasagna, is it with meat?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Yes, it can be made with meat."  
Mal: "Why don't we do the lasagna with the meat and then something with vegetables?"  
Mrs. Potts: "You are right, Mal. We do that, pick a recipe with vegetables"  
Mal: "What do you think about this one? Baked broccoli with chili bread"  
Mrs. Potts: "Perfect, and the dessert?"  
Mal grimaced: "You eat so much here"  
Mrs. Potts looked sad: "Did you feel like puking again?"  
Mal shook her head: "It's just... hard to get used to this life"  
Mrs. Potts nodded: "I understand. We'll do something light"  
Mal sighed in relief and nodded  
They started cooking and Mal began to feel better  
Belle entered the room: "Mal?"  
Mal turned around: "Your Majesty"  
Belle: "What are you doing here? And please call me Belle" she smiled  
Mal smiled too: "Belle," she said softly  
Mrs. Potts: "Well Belle, Mal is here to help me with dinner since she can cook"  
Belle: "Mal, I didn't know you cooked"  
Mal shrugged: "When you live with two women that won't take care of you... also I lived with Carlos in that apartment and he cooks too but he doesn't really like it, he prefers baking" she sighed "He loves sweet stuff"  
Belle: "I can't cook anything"  
Mrs. Potts: "Because you never listened when I tried to teach you"  
Belle smiled: "I'm more of a reader"  
Mal: "I like to read too"  
Belle: "What kind of books do you like?"  
Mal: "Well.. the books I had were about magic and spells and history so I read those. In the Reformed Part, there is a school kind of but those books were really boring" she rolled her eyes "I'm not a fan of Happily Ever After" she looked at Belle "I'm sorry"  
Belle laughed: "Why are you apologizing?"  
Mal shrugged: "Don't know. Anyhow. I borrowed some books from my father every once in a while... Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and others about Greece"  
Belle: "Woah. I didn't take your father for a reader"  
Mal: "Immortality can be boring, especially if you are in that Isle. You would like him. I'm not a fan of him but he isn't that bad" she looked at Belle "He always took care of Carlos and even if he doesn't take credit for it he helped a lot of people there... including me"  
Belle: "He sounds like a good person"  
Mal smirked: "He isn't exactly a person... I guess that's why Adam put him in the Isle.. without any reason at all"  
Belle: "Mal... Hades tried to kill Hercules"  
Mal was surprised: "Hercules. Is he here in Auradon? Does he have children?"  
Belle confused: "Yes, to both questions, why?"  
Mal: "No nothing..." she took off her apron "Hades tried to kill Hercules, it's true but, correct me if I'm wrong, didn't the Seven Dwarfs killed Grimhilde when she wasn't doing anything? I mean Snow White was sleeping, she had gotten her revenge she was about to go away" she looked at Belle "Killing her wouldn't change anything. They killed her because they wanted to, it's no different from what a lot of people of the Isle did or tried to do"  
Belle was speechless, she didn't know what to do or say  
Mal left  
Mrs. Potts: "Well she is smart, that's for sure"  
Belle: "She is right"  
Mrs. Potts: "Belle. That prison is wrong and you know what I think about it. Some of those villains deserve to be there but others... like Grimhilde. They changed. They deserve a second chance, and their kids deserve a chance to be whatever they want"  
Belle nodded


	32. An Unwelcome Visit

They were in the dining room, eating  
Belle noticed that Mal didn't say anything about their conversation in the kitchen  
Mal: "Your... Uhm sorry Belle, could you pass me the lasagna?"  
Belle smiled: "Sure Mal" she took the lasagna "here"  
Mal smiled too: "Thanks"  
Ben noticed that Mal had called his mother by name and smiled  
Carlos: "This lasagna is delicious. Who cooked it?"  
Mal: "The cook, Mrs. Potts"  
Carlos tilted his head and looked at Mal: "And you didn't help her, did you?"  
Mal gave him a death stare  
Evie: "You cooked this dinner?"  
Adam, Ben, Jane, Doug, and Lonnie looked surprised  
Mal shrugged  
Lonnie: "And you can cook. Is there something that you can't do?"  
Mal: "I never won Maleficent's love or respect"  
Evie grimaced: "Mal"  
Mal looked at Evie: "Yes?"  
Evie shook her head  
Mal looked at Lonnie: "Sorry"  
Lumiere interrupted them: "Someone is here to see you, Prince Benjamin"  
Ben looked at Lumiere: "Now?"  
Lumiere, clearly annoyed, nodded  
Ben looked at his parents  
Lumiere: "There is no need"  
Ben got up and shared a look with Mal who seemed worried too  
Ben went with Lumiere  
Carlos: "Who could it be? I mean it's dinner time"  
Mal shrugged

* * *

Ben: "Who is it?"  
Lumiere: "Benjamin, who would come at this hour, knowing full well that they would interrupt your dinner?"  
Ben groaned  
And there she was. Audrey  
Audrey: "Hi Benny Boo" she was smiling  
Ben: "Hi Audrey. I thought that I made it clear to you. I don't like that nickname"  
Audrey pouted: "You changed Benny... Ben" she took a few steps towards him "I want to help you. I love you. I forgive you for that stupid mistake... Let's go back to what we were" she stopped when she saw Ben holding up a hand  
Ben: "You forgive me? For what?"  
Audrey: "For breaking up with me. That witch has you under some kind of spell... Ben, this isn't you"  
Ben: "I wanted to broke up with you since our first date, Audrey. I don't love you, I never did. I care for you as a friend, nothing more. And if you didn't realize it, you are blind... And what witch? Mal is a fairy, and she didn't spell me"  
Audrey: "That is another mistake. You shouldn't have made them come here. They are villains"  
Ben: "You know what? Come with me"  
Audrey followed him, confused

* * *

In the dining room, Mal was talking about books with Belle and Adam, Carlos was talking with Jane about his love for sweets, Jay and Lonnie were discussing swords, Evie was talking with Doug and FG about school  
When Ben entered with Audrey everyone stopped talking  
Mal's head was tilted  
Belle: "Audrey? What are you doing here at dinner time?"  
Audrey: "I needed to spoke with Ben"  
Adam: "And you couldn't wait till tomorrow?"  
Audrey: "It's urgent" she looked at Ben "why are we here?"  
Ben smiled: "I wanted to show you how incredibly dangerous are Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay" he looked at the four of them "Why don't you tell Audrey what we did today?"  
Jay confused: "Well, we watched a movie and drank some hot cocoa"  
Carlos: "I wouldn't recommend the movie"  
Evie: "The hot cocoa, on the other end, was delicious"  
Mal: "Before the movie, we walked around and dance in the rain, and we learned a lot of stuff. Like about the weather and what you do here"  
Audrey: "The weather?"  
Mal looked at Ben: "They explained to us what the rain is made of. And snow"  
Carlos: "Then we watched the movie. Again, I don't recommend it"  
Evie: "After that, we played Hide and Seek"  
Mal and Carlos smiled happily  
Audrey seemed in shock: "Hide and Seek?"  
Mal: "Yeah, I won"  
Carlos: "Mal also cooked this dinner with Mrs. Potts"  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Ben: "They don't seem that evil now, huh?"  
Belle: "Right now we were talking with Mal about Shakespeare"  
Jane: "I was talking with Carlos about pastries"  
Lonnie: "I was talking about fencing with Jay"  
Doug: "FG and I were talking with Evie about school"  
Audrey looked at Adam: "You put them there and you always described them as villains, can't you see how wrong is having them here? Why aren't you doing something to send them back there?"  
Adam: "I was wrong"  
Audrey understood that she wasn't going to win this: "I should go back home. Ben" she put a hand on his arm before he could move "Think about what we talked"  
Before Ben could do anything she kissed him on the cheek, the same Mal had kissed that afternoon  
Mal watched the scene and felt something rose in her chest, a need to punch Audrey in the face, she didn't understand it, therefore, she looked at her plate confused  
Audrey left  
Belle: "That girl"  
Mal looked at the Queen and saw disapproval on her face  
Belle: "Tell me that you broke up with Audrey like you told me you would"  
Ben sat down: "Yes, I did but she doesn't give up.."  
The vks were silent, they didn't know what to say  
Lonnie: "You know Audrey"  
Jane looked at the vks: "Guys, it's not personal. She'll come around, don't worry"  
Evie looked up: "We don't care about her opinion" her voice was empty  
Jane, Lonnie, Doug, Belle, and FG were surprised by her tone, Evie was usually the gentle one of the group. Now she sounded like a very Isle girl  
Jay: "We suppose that a lot of people here don't like us"  
Carlos: "And it's not like we like them"  
Mal looked up from the lasagna and nodded at what Carlos said, then grimaced  
Carlos, Evie, and Jay looked at her immediately worried  
She got up quickly and ran away  
Ben: "What's wrong?"  
Evie: "We'll handle it" she, Carlos, and Jay followed Mal  
Ben looked around the table: "What's wrong?"  
Jane: "I think we somehow offended them..."  
Doug: "No, I don't think so. I think they just want to handle something on their own"  
Lonnie: "They handle everything on their own.."  
Doug: "Really?" he raised an eyebrow "We go everywhere they go. Ben follows Mal everywhere. Ben made Lumiere rearranged a room for them. They don't have the freedom they are used to. Think about it. On the Isle, they were under the dome sure but they could go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted. Mal and Carlos especially."  
Ben pouted: "I don't follow Mal everywhere"  
Everyone sat at the table looked at him with disbelieving looks  
Ben: "I follow Mal everywhere?"  
Belle: "Honey... you kinda do"

* * *

Mal went in the bathroom and puked  
Evie, Jay, and Carlos arrived one second after she bent over the loo  
Evie crouched near her and murmured words of comfort  
Carlos conjured a cloth and put it under the cold water  
Jay was in their bedroom looking for their first aid bag, he entered the bathroom with their potion for this kind of situation  
Mal finished and sat near the loo: "I can't get used to the food. They have so many dishes..."  
Evie: "Mal... I think that you should see a doctor.. this isn't healthy... We have difficulties to get used to their food but we don't puke every time"  
Mal: "I'm not going to see a doctor. And you won't talk about it with anyone"  
Evie: "We won't. Jay give her the potion"  
Jay gave Mal the potion, Mal drank it  
Jay: "Better?"  
Mal smiled at Jay and nodded: "Thank you, Beanie"  
Jay smiled too and held out his hand for her to take: "Let's go for a walk"  
Mal took his hand, they exited the bathroom

* * *

Evie and Carlos returned to the dining room  
Ben was about to ask where Mal was but decided against it  
Doug: "Did you handle it?"  
Evie smiled at him: "Yes, everything is fine. Mal is with Jay"  
Lonnie looked confused, she looked at Ben and then again at Evie: "I thought that Mal.. that... I mean... Jay and Mal?"  
Carlos and Evie looked at her, then turned to look at Doug  
Carlos: "What kind of language was that?"  
Doug: "She means to ask if Mal and Jay have a relationship"  
Evie: "Well yeah, like I do with her and Carlos. I don't understand"  
Doug: "She means a loving kind of relationship"  
Evie: "Oh. Nono. But she and Jay have some things in common... like before, they both prefer bitter stuff, and fighting... let's put it like this Carlos and I are the brains of the group while they are the body"  
Carlos looked at Lonnie: "Didn't you ask the same question a while ago?"  
Lonnie: "Oh. Ok, I guess I kinda see it"  
Belle: "Is Mal ok?"  
Evie: "Yes, it's just a consequence of the experience of death... But overall she is fine"  
Belle smiled: "That's good to know"  
They finished their dinner, Evie smiled all of a sudden  
Evie: "Let's go outside"  
Ben confused: "Why?"  
Carlos: "Benny Boo, shut up and follow us"  
Ben glared at Carlos: "Don't call me that" but he got up and followed them  
They went outside  
Belle: "The night is beautiful, the stars are so bright"  
Evie: "Yeah they are" she smiled at the Queen "Magical, isn't it?"  
FG looked at Evie, then looked at the stars and smiled: "Indeed"  
Adam looked at the stars: "Wait a minute"  
Carlos smiled knowing what the King was thinking: "Yeah"  
They arrived near the wood, where there was a little lake. Mal and Jay were there  
Ben: "What..?"  
Evie: "Adam, I'll remind you that the four of us can do magic, so don't start freaking out"  
Adam: "Well, you already enlightened the sky so... do what you want"  
Lonnie: "They did what?"  
FG: "It's old magic... this one that we are watching is the old sky, this one is the sky I used to see when I was a child. In the Moors you see it even better... unfortunately humans wronged magic in many ways and the result is the sky we usually see..."  
Jane looked at Adam  
Mal and Jay heard them arrived  
Jay: "Finally.. you Auradonians walk so slowly"  
Mal smiled: "They aren't used to walking for too long... those cars can bring them everywhere"  
Ben looked at Mal: "What were you doing?"  
Mal looked at Ben: "Krav Maga... I needed to blow off some steam and Jay helped me"  
Ben nodded, Mal smiled at him  
Adam: "How did you enlighten the sky?"  
Mal shrugged: "Old magic" she looked at the sky, her smile peaceful "Mother when she was sane of course..." her eyes were sparkling "Mother used to tell me how she loved the sky, she used to say 'Mal, I wish you could have seen the sky... so beautiful... the stars they are so bright...'" Mal's smile was sad now "I remember that there was a time when she didn't kill me or beat me... she was ok..."  
Carlos said sarcastically: "You were her favorite" He didn't get many chances to see the good Maleficent but he missed her too  
Mal laughed sadly: "Anyhow... I wanted to see the sky, the one she always told me about... You know on the Isle we don't see the sky... too many clouds"  
Evie: "In the Reformed Part we can sometimes see the sky when it's summer..." she sighed looking at the sky "But we have never seen the stars"  
Jay: "We were walking and looking at the sky when Mal proposed to do a little magic"  
Belle: "What are we doing here?"  
Evie: "Mal proposed another little magic"  
Adam: "And how do you know that?"  
Carlos: "Telepathy. Evie, Jay, Mal, and I can talk by telepathy"  
Adam: "Oh.. yeah right"  
Carlos and Mal shook their heads  
Mal looked at Adam and tilted her head, her eyes glowed green: "Ready for some magic?"  
Adam: "Not so sure"  
Mal smiled: "Don't worry. Nobody is going to transform into anything"  
Adam smiled at her too  
Mal: "Carlos?"  
Carlos: "Here I am" he winked at Adam, "I told her to make the moon blue but she said 'Carlos don't be stupid if we make it blue Evie won't stop talking about the shade of blue that's perfect for the moon' "  
Evie: "It's important. The sky is a dark blue, if you get the shade wrong you won't see the moon"  
Mal rolled her eyes and raised her arms to the sky: "Told you so"  
Doug smiled  
Belle was happy to see that the vks were more relaxed around Adam  
Carlos took Evie's hand and got closer to Jay and Mal  
Mal: "Please stay where you are"  
Mal turned to look at Jay, her eyes glowing green his glowing red  
Evie took Carlos's hand, his eyes electric blue and her gold  
Mal and Carlos started talking in a foreign language  
The eyes of the four were glowing more and more, the air around them glowing too  
FG and Jane's eyes started glowing too  
Doug noticed that: "Why are your eyes glowing too?"  
FG: "When strong magic is performed near other magic users, it awakes their magic too"  
Doug: "Fascinating"  
The grass under everybody's feet turned into a dance floor  
Adam: "I thought that there wouldn't be any transformation"  
FG smiling: "I think she meant a transformation of humans"  
Belle looked at the dance floor amazed: "This is wonderful"  
Jane: "A dance floor"  
Lonnie: "Cool"  
The wind seemed to play a music  
Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay exited the circle of magic  
Evie: "Perfect" she took a step towards Doug "Will you dance with me?"  
Doug blushed scarlet red: "It would be an honor"  
Jay looked at FG, went in front of the headmistress, and then held out his hand  
FG chuckled and took it  
Carlos twirled and got to Jane: "Will you dance with me?"  
Jane: "Of course"  
Belle was already dancing with Adam  
Mal, Ben, and Lonnie were on the side  
Lonnie: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Yes?"  
Lonnie: "Do me a favor and conjure me some kind of shadow with whom I can dance"  
Mal laughed and with a movement of her right hand she conjured a man's figure that approached Lonnie  
Lonnie: "I love it! Thank you. Let's dance, handsome gentleman"  
Ben smiled at Mal: "Will you dance with me?"  
Mal: "Sure"  
She wasn't a fan of physical touch but she wanted to dance with him. She put her arms around his shoulders and he put his hands on her waist, they started dancing  
Ben: "I didn't take you for someone that liked to slow dance"  
Mal tilted her head confused: "Slow dance?"  
Ben: "You know, slow and romantic music, couples and stuff like that"  
Mal grimaced: "You Auradonians and your love for love. There is nothing romantic about this evening" then she looked around. He was right of course, she knew that on the dance floor there were only couples: Belle and Adam, Carlos and Jane, Doug and Evie, Lonnie and the shadow, FG and Jay... of course Jay didn't like FG that way, but she wasn't going to recognize that to him  
Ben raised an eyebrow: "Right. You cook dinner, you enlighten the sky and now you conjure a dance floor... You are acting weird"  
Mal smacked his shoulder: "I cooked with Mrs. Potts because I like cooking. I always have, you can ask anyone. I enlightened the sky for the reasons I already explained. And about the dance floor... This week was intense, on the Isle I would have got a hangover but here apparently I 'can't'... I tried to grab some bourbon from the kitchen but Mrs. Potts caught me, so this is the only way"  
Ben: "It was an intense week... How are you?"  
Mal: "Stop asking me that"  
Ben: "What do you want me to do?"  
Mal looked at him surprised, she knew him but she couldn't help but compare Auradon with the Isle, there men didn't ask, they took it... Meanwhile Ben was here, dancing with her and he hadn't taken advantage of that... He was so different from Harry  
Ben: "Why are looking at me like that?"  
Mal shook her head: "You are just so different from the men I met"  
Ben: "What do you mean?"  
Mal: "Nothing. I don't want to talk tonight"  
Ben: "What do you want to do?"  
Mal smirked evilly  
Ben glared at her: "Mal"  
Mal got closer, her arms closed around his neck: "Yes, Benny Boo?"  
Ben: "Don't"  
Mal: "Don't what?"  
Ben: "Don't act like this"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "Relax Ben, can you do that? I want to have some fun, I think I deserve it"  
Ben: "I can relax"  
Mal: "Sure. Actually, you can relax so much that when this afternoon I disappeared for a while you ran all around the Castle to try and find me"  
Ben blushed: "I'm sorry"  
Mal frowned: "Don't apologize." then she relaxed again "Now, stop thinking about everything at once and let go a little, think about dancing with me"  
Ben smiled: "Fine"  
In the meantime, Jay had asked to dance with Lonnie, who accepted  
FG started dancing with the shadow  
Near midnight the dance floor, the music, the shadow, and the beautiful sky disappeared  
Belle: "Time to go to bed"  
Adam referring to Jane, FG, Doug, and Lonnie: "Cogsworth will escort you home"  
They followed him to the garage  
The vks, Ben and Belle went inside the Castle  
Belle: "It was wonderful, kids"  
Mal: "It would have been better with some alcohol"  
Carlos nodded, Evie and Belle looked at them  
Mal and Carlos: "What?"  
Belle: "I know that I have no power over you but.."  
Mal: "Belle, I actually respect you, please don't even try to tell me what I can or can't do with my body"  
Belle: "I'm just worried about your health"  
Evie nodded  
Mal: "I'm half God and half magic, you don't know how my body works"  
That silenced Belle and Evie for a while  
The vks and Ben went upstairs while Belle went into the kitchen  
Ben was in front of his room when he turned to say goodnight and saw that they were right behind him, waiting  
Ben: "You need something?"  
They looked at him confused, then they looked at each other  
Jay: "You said that we could sleep with you"  
Ben surprised: "Oh, of course. I just thought... Never mind"  
Evie: "If you prefer to sleep alone we understand, we'll go to our room"  
Ben: "Nono. I thought that you wanted some alone-time, Doug said something about your need to not be around me"  
They looked shocked  
Carlos: "Doug said that?" he turned to Evie "What did you tell him?"  
Evie: "I didn't say anything of that sort. I'm sure there is an explanation"  
Mal, Carlos, and Jay looked at her waiting for the explanation  
Evie huffed: "I don't have that specific explanation"  
Mal: "Anyhow. Can we sleep in your room or not?"  
Ben nodded and they entered his room  
Carlos and Evie went straight for the bed, Jay laid on the floor, Ben went to get changed  
When he got back, the vks were wearing something different  
Ben: "Oh, you brought pajamas from the Isle"  
Mal was wearing a purple tank top and green shorts, Carlos was wearing a red t-shirt and blue shorts, Jay was wearing a yellow undershirt and red shorts, and Evie was wearing a blue nightgown  
Mal: "Yeah, we fetched them this afternoon when we went to take the swords"  
Ben nodded  
Ben gave Jay a blanket and a pillow, he put a blanket and a pillow on the couch for himself and then looked at Mal  
Ben: "Where will you sleep?"  
Mal looked around, then pointed at the floor near the couch "There"  
She would sleep between the couch and the bed, near Ben, he gave her a pillow and a blanket  
Ben laid down: "Goodnight guys"  
Evie: "Goodnight"  
Jay: "Night"  
Carlos and Mal: "Evil dreams"  
And so they slept

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there  
> So the unwelcome guest was Audrey  
> She will come around eventually like Jane said, she needs time  
> Mal is relaxing a bit about physical touch as you can see  
> So while I was writing this I realized that the timeline could be a bit confusing  
> The vks met Adam and Belle on Sunday, the school closed because Maleficent realized that Mal and Carlos are in Auradon on Monday, they went to the Moors on Tuesday, they went on the Isle on Wednesday and stayed there until Saturday morning, that is to say, that "now" is Saturday night  
> Hope you like it  
> Byeee


	33. You Are My Family

The light came threw the curtains  
Mal turned while sleeping, she could feel someone near her so she opened her eyes and found Ben laying beside her  
At first, she got scared then she realized that Ben would never try to do anything without her consent  
 _He probably fell from the couch_  
 _She looked at him and smiled_  
 _He is so cute when he sleeps_  
 _She raised a hand to caress his hair gently, he was sleeping so peacefully, his hair was soft_  
 _She didn't even realize that her hand had kept going, her hand now was on his face_  
 _She stopped_  
 _What the hell is happening? I'm more than a simple girl..._  
A voice reminded her that they shared a True Love  
 _It doesn't matter now.. we aren't together_  
The same voice told her that it didn't matter what they called each other, she knew it too  
 _What is it? Why am I so pulled towards this person? Sure, he knows me better than anyone else and he cares for me deeply... and I care for him but..._  
Inevitably he woke up, he opened his eyes, Mal had never seen them this close, they were a beautiful light green  
When he saw how close they were he retracted immediately  
Ben: "Oh my God! Mal, I'm sorry... I swear I didn't do anything"  
Mal smiled, he was so cute and awkward: "Are you sure? Because I could swear I heard you... very close to me" she moved to be closer "Like really close"  
Ben blushed: "I must have... I mean.. maybe when I was sleeping I could have done something... Mal, I'm sorry I swear... I must have fallen from the couch... I..."  
Mal laughed softly and turned to lay on her back: "Don't worry Ben. You didn't do anything, I was just messing with you"  
Ben groaned and laid on his back: "Very funny Mal."  
Mal sighed: "I know"  
Ben looked at her sideways: "You seem particularly happy today"  
Mal turned to look at him: "Well, there are many reasons to be happy. Mother is on the Isle and she can't harm us, I've made peace with Father, we reached some sort of agreement with your father, we are here... together, we have food and a roof under which we can sleep... In my world, it's enough... I probably wouldn't use the word 'happy', but here we are in Auradon the land of happiness, aren't we?"  
Ben smiled: "You are right"  
Mal: "Of course I am"  
Ben chuckled, then asked something he couldn't stop thinking about: "Can I ask you something?"  
Mal: "Sure"  
Ben: "You told me that you cooked with Mrs. Potts, the thing is Mrs. Potts lets in the kitchen only people she knows, this means that you must have talked to her before yesterday"  
Mal: "What's the question?"  
Ben: "When did you meet her?"  
Mal: "Before going to the Isle, we talked a little.." she looked at the ceiling "I like her. I told her that when I was on the Isle I cooked... then yesterday the movie happened... I went to the kitchen and Mrs. Potts was there... so we cooked together"  
Ben nodded: "I'm happy you like her. I don't know if you remember but I told you about her when we were children"  
Mal: "Yeah I do. I remember that you described her as an angel when she prepared you her magic soup"  
Ben smiled: "Do you want to go eat breakfast?"  
Mal: "Let's do something funnier"  
Ben: "Like what?"  
Mal: "Come with me" she got up and then held her hand out for him to take  
Ben surprised took it  
They went downstairs quietly, it was still early  
Ben: "Where are we going?"  
Mal whispering: "Quiet. People are still sleeping."  
Ben whispered: "Ok sorry, where are we going?"  
Mal: "The kitchen"  
They passed through the living room and the dining room to get to the kitchen, they entered  
Ben: "Now what?"  
Mal: "What would you like for breakfast?"  
Ben: "You want to cook breakfast for me?"  
Mal: "No, I'm not your servant, Ben. We are going to cook breakfast"  
Ben: "I really can't cook"  
Mal: "I'll teach you" she grabbed some stuff  
Ben: "What are we making?"  
Mal: "Mrs. Potts told me that you like pancakes"  
Ben: "Yes, I do. You know how to make them?"  
Mal: "I didn't, but yesterday I read a very interesting book. Now shut up and fetch me the eggs"  
They started cooking  
Ben: "Mal..."  
Mal: "Ben?"  
Ben: "I like cooking with you, I really do but... now, what do I do with this?"  
Mal got closer to him: "Put it in the pan"  
Ben did it: "Now what?  
Mal: "We wait for a little and check on it"  
Ben noticed that Mal didn't seem to have her usual problem with closeness  
Mal: "Now you have to turn the pancake, be careful"  
Ben: "How?"  
Mal: "Hold the pan, now with a movement of the hand you have to make it turn"  
Ben looked at her helpless, Mal looked at him and smiled  
Mal: "You are so helpless without a servant" she got behind him and put her hands on his and moved them "Here. Like this"  
They turned the pancake  
Ben: "Woah"  
Mal laughed: "For the next one, you do it on your own"  
Ben laughed too: "Fine"  
The next time he did try but he dropped the pan  
Mal: "Ok, don't worry you just need practice"  
Ben annoyed: "You didn't have too much time to practice, but you are doing it perfectly"  
Mal laughed again: "You never cooked before, also you are only human, aren't you?"  
Ben glared at her: "Really funny... I can't seem to.. embrace the fact that you... That you aren't human..."  
Mal looked at the pancake she was making: "Does it bother you?"  
Ben thought about it: "Not really, it's just that.. you know, I didn't have much time to think about it with the whole 'Maleficent wants to kill us' thing"  
Mal: "Ben, does it bother you that your other half isn't human? Does it bother you that I'm your True Love and I'm not human?"  
Ben looked at her, forgetting about the pan, she was really upset: "Mal, are you alright?"  
Mal turned at him completely: "Does it bother you, Ben?" her eyes didn't betray any emotion  
Ben, without notice, moved the pan forward and his hand came in contact with the fire: "Ouch!" he withdrew his hand  
Mal worried: "Oh my God! Ben, are you hurt?"  
Ben: "No, it's fine"  
Mal: "Ben, don't act all brave, let me see"  
Ben gave his hand to her, he immediately felt better, her cold hands alleviated the pain, sighed in relief  
Mal: "You got burn" with his hand in hers, she glared at him  
It was kind of comical, seeing her like this: she was shorter than him and when she looked at him like that, he felt threatened by an angry kitten  
An angry kitten that, potentially, could kill him  
Mal: "You idiot, what were you thinking?"  
Ben smiled: "You distracted me"  
Mal huffed: "So now it's my fault if you put your hand on fire"  
Ben snorted: "It wasn't on fire. I got a little burned, that's all. Your cold hands made it better already"  
Mal released his hand from her steady grip, then turned to the pancakes that were now burned, with a gesture of her hand they disappeared, she took the pans and put them aside, she took the plate with the pancakes and put them on the kitchen island, fetched the maple syrup, and a glass  
Ben watched her move in the kitchen like she knew where everything was in silence  
Mal: "Well? You are hungry, aren't you?"  
Ben nodded and took a stool to sit, then started eating, his pancake was awful but the one that Mal had prepared was delicious  
Ben: "It's delicious," he noticed that she wasn't eating "Aren't you hungry?"  
She always ate when it was mealtime, she probably needed to eat more then he did. His mother had told him about the vks health situation; it wasn't particularly bad nonetheless he wanted to make sure that they were cared for here  
Mal shook her head  
Ben thought that maybe she was still thinking about the discussion that led to his distraction  
Ben: "It doesn't"  
Mal surprised looked at him: "What?"  
Ben: "It doesn't bother me. That you aren't human" he fetched the orange juice "Also, the 'other half' part, you don't have to be anything of mine if you don't want to. We already talked about this" he drank a little "And for your information, it doesn't bother me that you are my True Love"  
Mal watched him thoroughly: "It doesn't?"  
Ben: "Not at all. I don't care if you aren't human"  
He meant it, from the moment he had realized he had a crush on her when he was 11 years old he knew that nothing would change what he felt for her  
Ben: "I'm more worried about you not accepting my father"  
Mal: "Your father?" she was confused  
Ben: "Yeah, I mean... your True Love is the son of the man that.."  
Mal interrupted him: "I don't care about that. You know I never did"  
Ben: "The first time we talked about this, it didn't seem like you didn't care"  
Mal annoyed: "I was 7 years old, Ben. And my mother had spent the prior seven years to torture me, excuse me if I had trust issues"  
Ben: "Sorry"  
Mal shrugged  
Ben: "No really, I'm sorry... I didn't make it easier"  
Mal: "Of course you didn't. You never do" she looked abruptly at the door "Mrs. Potts is coming"  
Ben sniffed: "And she brings bread"  
Mal looked at him: "Nice"  
Ben: "I have superpowers too"  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Mrs. Potts entered the kitchen and was surprised to see the Prince with Mal there  
Mrs. Potts: "Benjamin, what are you doing here this early?"  
Ben: "We woke up early and Mal decided to show me how to make pancakes... I failed miserably"  
Mrs. Potts: "You made him cook?" she was looking at Mal  
Mal: "I tried to... I think that Ben should focus on baking cookies"  
Mrs. Potts laughed: "Oh Mal" then she noticed that while Ben was eating, Mal hadn't touched the food "Again problems with food?"  
Mal looked quickly at Ben with a grimace  
Ben turned to look at Mal worried: "What problems?"  
Mal: "Nothing"  
Ben turned to the cook: "Mrs. Potts?"  
Mrs. Potts didn't know what to do, but she was saved by the noise that came from the dining room  
Mal: "They woke up" she took the plate with the pancakes and the maple syrup and walked out the kitchen  
Carlos: "Hey Mal. You made pancakes"  
Evie and Jay sat down  
Mal: "Yeah"  
Evie: "Ben?"  
Ben: "I'm here" he sat down "Anybody cares to explain what is Mal's problem with food?"  
Evie smiled: "She has no problems" she frowned a little "But the first time we stayed here the night she had a little stomach ache"  
Evie was lying, Mal had 'told' her what Mrs. Potts had said  
Ben looked at Evie and then nodded, he turned to look at Mal: "Why didn't you tell me?"  
Mal raised both eyebrows and sarcastically: "I'm sorry, I didn't know I had to tell you every single detail of my life"  
Ben snorted: "You don't have to tell me everything, but technically you are under my responsibility and I'd like to know if you aren't well"  
Mal: "I'm under my responsibility since I'm born"  
Carlos nodded  
Jay: "I think this is about him being the one who decided to bring us here"  
Mal looked at Jay: "Doesn't matter. I won't go crying at him for every little thing"  
When Belle and Adam arrived they noticed the pancakes  
Adam smiled: "Pancakes! Awesome"  
Ben smiled too: "Mal made them"  
Adam: "Woah Mal, thanks"  
Mal tilted her head: "Actually, Ben and I made them" she looked briefly at Ben "Before someone decided to burn himself"  
Adam laughed: "You made Ben cook?" he kept laughing  
Ben glared at his father: "You can't cook either"  
Adam: "I know, that's why I don't cook. Mrs. Potts would kill me, put me in one of her pies, and bake me" He looked at the vks "Mrs. Potts is a force to be reckoned with"  
The vks looked at him and then at Mrs. Potts that was now in the dining room  
Carlos: "Let me get this straight. You, Adam the King of Auradon, that was once the Beast, is afraid of Mrs. Potts" he pointed at her "Who is an adorable woman that cooks us the most delicious meals?"  
Mrs. Potts smiled at Carlos  
Adam completely serious: "Yes. She can be terrifying"  
Mrs. Potts: "He is right" she put the orange juice on the table  
Carlos looked at the woman, he shared a look with Mal who nodded seriously  
Carlos smiled: "Cool"  
Mrs. Potts: "Mal, those pancakes look amazing" she looked at the three Royals in disappointment "You should learn from her" she looked at Carlos, "Mal told me that you can cook too, Carlos"  
Carlos: "Yes, I can but I prefer baking" he smiled at Mrs. Potts "Once I baked a rotten apple pie. Mal, tell her"  
Mal smiled proudly: "The best baker of the Isle. I'm not kidding" she looked at Mrs. Potts "You have to try one of his pies" She looked like she was daydreaming "How much I miss your pies, Carlos. Bake one, this Auradonias should know your talent"  
Carlos smiled brightly and happily  
Ben, Belle, and Adam looked at Mal amazed by her tone when she talked about Carlos like that, she sounded so proud like an older sister talks about her young brother  
Mrs. Potts: "Carlos, I would love to try one of your pies.. but we are going to use fresh ingredients"  
Carlos laughed: "Fine with me"  
Belle: "Ben, remember that today is Family Day, in an hour you have to be at school"  
Ben groaned: "Family Day. Of course"  
Evie: "What is Family Day?"  
Adam: "It's the day we celebrate families. The families of the students of Auradon Prep come and stay for the day. There are food, games, music"  
Mal frowned: "I don't understand"  
Carlos was confused too: "Me neither. They throw a party because they have a family?"  
Mal shook her head: "Maybe the school celebrate the fact that there are families"  
Carlos raised an eyebrow: "Why would they do that?"  
Mal: "If there aren't families, there aren't kids. If there aren't kids, there aren't students"  
Carlos nodded: "Oh right. Of course"  
Evie looked sad, Jay could only look at his two friends  
Belle: "Mal, Carlos"  
They turned to look at her  
Belle: "We have a Family Day to celebrate families. To celebrate the love families share. There are games for families... it's an occasion for the parents to be with their children and have fun, for the parents to know the parents of the friends of their children."  
Mal and Carlos looked crestfallen  
Mal: "Oh"  
Carlos: "That makes more sense, I guess..."  
Evie smiled again: "It seems like a good day to celebrate our family, doesn't it Jay?"  
Jay smiled too: "Yeah. I mean, my two little siblings can be a bother sometimes... but what would I do without them?"  
Mal and Carlos looked at them  
Evie: "Yeah, especially at the table... they are animals"  
Mal and Carlos smiled a little  
Mal: "I don't think it's a good idea for us to go"  
Everyone else beside Carlos frowned  
Evie: "Why?"  
Mal: "Because we are the children of Maleficent.. although Carlos, you are the son of Cruella" she turned to Carlos "You can go, I'll stay here" she looked at Mrs. Potts "Can I stay here with you?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Mal, you can stay with me for as long as you want. But I think you should go to the party"  
Mal shook her head: "No, I won't go"  
Evie: "Mal... You are part of my family and I want to celebrate our love"  
Mal: "Love?" she laughed and got up "I'm the daughter of Maleficent, I'm not going to a party that celebrates love... No, I'll stay here. You go and have fun" then she seemed to remember something "Is there going to be alcohol?"  
Adam: "Yes, probably, but nothing strong"  
Mal: "You good people... how can you throw a party without alcohol?" she shook her head and left  
Evie looked at Adam and Belle: "When does the party start?"  
Belle: "In two hours, but you can come with us and help if you'd like"  
Jay: "Sure"  
Evie: "I love organizing party"  
Carlos: "I don't know... Mal shouldn't be alone..."  
Evie: "Don't worry, she will come with us" she got up "Let's go and convince her"  
The vks were about to go when Jay looked at Ben  
Jay: "Ben"  
Evie and Carlos looked at Ben too  
Evie: "You are right"  
Carlos: "Of course. Benny Boo, come with us"  
Ben: "Me? Why?"  
Jay: "Ben, my little sister needs convincing and you are part of our plan"  
Ben got up and followed them: "What's the plan?"  
Jay smiled: "You"  
They arrived in their bedroom, they entered but she wasn't there  
Ben: "I think I know where she is"  
The vks looked at him  
Evie smiled: "Well, go and convinced her. We'll go change" she looked at Jay and Carlos "I need time to find the best outfit. We have to make a good impression"  
Jay: "Of course you are worried about outfits"  
Ben smiled and left

* * *

Ben found her exactly where he thought she was  
In the greenhouse  
She was laying on the ground, looking up, she was playing magically with some petals  
He stood at the door, watching her  
Ben: "The daughter of Maleficent playing with roses... I'm feeling so threatened" he chuckled  
Mal rose on her elbows and looked at him: "What do you want, Ben?"  
Ben went near her and sat down: "I think that you should come to the party"  
Mal: "And why is that?"  
Ben: "You are my family"  
Mal looked at him surprised and sat too: "I'm your family?"  
Ben nodded: "You know that family isn't just people that share blood, a family can be chosen, people that share something can become family. When we started sharing dreams you became a part of my life, even a part of my mind, we became friends. When I was 13 years old, my mom told me about the True Love thing, I knew it was you, that's when you became my family. Not because we may be together one day, but because we share a connection. And today I want to celebrate our connection, I want to celebrate our family."  
Mal was watching him, her head tilted to the side: "You really think that I'm your family?"  
Ben: "I do" he smiled  
What happened next wasn't in Ben's expectation  
Mal smiled, the petals were still flying around, with a gesture one by one the petals formed a rose that she gave to him, then she caressed his face lightly, her fingertips cold like always, and gave him an even lighter kiss on his cheek  
Ben was surprised, to say the least, he was frozen  
Mal: "I'll come with you but I'm not acting all princess-like. I'll keep eating like always and I'll always and always tease you"  
Ben: "I expect nothing less" he smiled  
Mal got up: "And don't you dare say anything about what happened here"  
Ben laughed: "I won't"

* * *

Mal: "I don't like this at all"  
Evie: "You look beautiful and we are at a party. You love to party"  
Mal: "No. I love our parties, where there are alcohol and good music... This is... This is awful"  
Evie: "And why did you come?"  
Mal smiled, she looked around to see if Carlos or Jay were closer: "Ben"  
Evie smiled too: "What did he say?"  
Mal: "He said that I'm his family" she thought about what he had said so that Evie could hear it  
Evie smiled even more: "He is so sweet"  
Mal: "He is" she watched him talking to a group of students "Well, at least this party can't get any worse"  
Carlos arrived with Jay: "I think you are wrong"  
Mal looked at her brother, shocked: "You like this party?"  
Carlos: "What? Nono. Not at all. I think you are wrong about the fact that this party can't get any worse"  
Jay: "Audrey's family arrived"  
Evie and Mal sighed  
Mal: "Next time we go on the Isle, we take some alcohol" Carlos nodded  
They saw Doug coming  
Doug: "Guys, there are people who want to meet you"  
Mal: "Like who?"  
Doug: "My family, and the other Dwarves, Snow White, Anita and Roger, Aladdin and Jasmine..."  
Carlos: "That's a lot of good guys"  
Doug, suddenly shy: "Also... There's someone else who wants to meet you... Carlos and Mal, in particular" he looked at them "Hercules"  
The two teens paled immediately  
Mal looked around and whispered: "Ok, we can run"  
Carlos was looking around too and whispered: "He is a semi-God like us"  
Mal: "Yeah, but we have magic too and we grew up on the Isle"  
Carlos looked at the buffet: "Bloody hell!"  
Mal: "What?"  
Carlos: "We didn't even eat"  
Mal looked at him: "We have bigger problems." she looked at the buffet "We can ask Mrs. Potts to cook us something, she loves us"  
Carlos nodded  
Evie looked at them amused: "Guys. You aren't going anywhere"  
They looked at her  
Evie: "They are good people"  
Mal: "Yeah, they are the good people who left us on that Isle"  
Evie was left speechless  
Jay: "You are right, Mal. You don't have to meet them."  
Mal looked suspiciously at Jay  
Jay: "I thought you were brave, now I know that it's not like that. You are a coward"  
Mal: "I'm a coward who doesn't want to meet those hypocrites. This trick doesn't work with me"  
Jane arrived too: "Hey! How are you?"  
Carlos: "We were fine"  
Jane: "Then what happened?"  
Mal: "Hercules wants to meet us"  
Jane: "Oh yeah I know. You'll love him"  
Mal: "No, we won't. Because we aren't going to meet him. Carlos, let's go"  
When they turned they saw a group of people coming towards them, the group had seen them  
Carlos: "Amazing" sarcastically  
Ben arrived: "Everything ok?"  
Mal: "Your ex-girlfriend is showing symptoms of suicidal thoughts"  
Ben looked at the group of people that Audrey was leading, between them there was her grandmother  
Mal: "Sorry Ben, but I'm leaving this... this thing you call 'party'"  
Ben: "No, please. Stay"  
The group had reached them  
Audrey: "Hello Ben"  
Ben: "Audrey"  
Audrey: "Grammy, I introduce you to Mal, the daughter of Maleficent, Carlos, the son of Cruella, Evie, and Jay the children of Jafar and the Evil Queen."  
The vks looked at her, bemused and bored  
Queen Leah: "Unfortunately I already met them"  
Audrey, faked surprise: "You did?"  
They were talking loudly enough for everyone to hear  
Queen Leah: "I did. A few days ago. There is a secret between them, a dangerous one"  
Audrey: "What kind of secret?"  
Mal interrupted: "I'm sorry, is this some kind of performance? I didn't read it on the schedule"  
Carlos: "Yeah, me neither"  
Evie: "If it isn't a performance, what you are doing is really rude"  
Jay: "Audrey, you introduce us to who? You said who we were, but who is this woman?"  
Mal: "You didn't let us say anything"  
Carlos: "I mean, we couldn't even say hi"  
The vks together: "Really rude"  
Audrey and Leah looked shocked  
Jane, Doug, and Lonnie smiled at the vks antics  
In the meantime, the people who wanted to meet the vks had arrived, they were listening  
Ben: "Audrey, please"  
Audrey: "Please what? I'm doing you a favor" she looked around "Mal and Carlos hide something important that all of us should know"  
Mal: "You know, it's not like if you don't know something then we are hiding it"  
Carlos: "We simply didn't tell you"  
Audrey kept going: "Mal and Carlos are siblings" she looked at Ben "They are the children of Hades"  
Around them, whispers started  
This was what Audrey wanted  
Mal and Carlos shrugged  
Carlos: "So what?"  
Mal: "We didn't tell the whole school who our father is. It's not a crime"  
Adam arrived near them: "Audrey, Leah, I have to ask you to back off"  
Queen Leah: "Also, they aren't humans"  
Everyone was surprised by this, even the vks  
The only person who could have told this to Leah was Aurora  
Mal felt something like disappointment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there  
> Did Aurora betray them?  
> Mal is getting a little better at showing affections  
> Like always I hope you like the chapter  
> Byeeee


	34. Family Day

Adam, serious as ever: "What you are saying is nonsense"  
Queen Leah: "Listen to me! They are part God and part fairy"  
Nobody knew what to say, there were two groups: those who didn't know, and those who already knew what Mal and Carlos were  
Adam: "That may be true for Mal, but Carlos is the son of Cruella" he was trying to understand what Leah knew  
Queen Leah: "That's what they want us to believe. It's a lie"  
Those who knew the truth sighed in relief, Aurora hadn't betrayed them  
Speaking of...  
Aurora: "Mother"  
Queen Leah: "Aurora, you were there that day, you've seen it. Tell them" she looked around "I was too afraid to stay in the same room as these monsters but my daughter stayed" she looked at Aurora "Tell them"  
Aurora: "What I saw isn't important. They aren't monsters, even if Carlos was Maleficent's son what does it matter? What changes? Maleficent is on the Isle and can't reach us" she looked at the other parents "She can't harm us"  
Snow White: "Leah, I think that you should back off"  
Evie and Jay looked at her surprised  
Jasmine: "They are kids. They aren't monsters"  
Adam: "Now it's enough. Let's get back to the party. Queen Leah, I would like to talk to you, in my office"  
Adam, Ben, Leah, Aurora, and FG left  
Belle went to talk to the vks  
Belle: "Are you alright?"  
The vks nodded  
Snow White, Aladdin, and Jasmine, Anita, and Roger arrived  
Snow White: "Hello Doug, will you introduce us?"  
Doug: "These are Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos. Guys, these are Snow White, Aladdin and Jasmine, Anita and Roger"  
The vks were frozen  
Evie recovered first: "Hello" and waved  
Jay: "Hi"  
The group of heroes smiled happily  
Snow White: "Hello, how are you?"  
Evie: "Fine"  
Snow White looked at Mal and Carlos: "What about you? Leah can be.. how can I say it?"  
Aladdin: "Unbearable. Obnoxious. Impossible. Too much"  
Everyone looked at him  
Jasmine: "I think they got it, honey"  
The vks were smiling, even Mal and Carlos relaxed  
Then Mal smiled brightly: "Carlos look! There is the dog that we met last Sunday"  
Carlos: "Where?"  
Mal: "There, near that bush"  
Carlos: "You are right" he was smiling too  
Mal turned to look at Evie: "Evie can we go play with the dog?"  
Evie: "I don't know, Mal..."  
Mal: "Please, Blue!"  
Evie sighed and smiled: "Fine, but don't go too far and be careful"  
Mal and Carlos: "Thanks!" and then ran to the other side  
The heroes looked surprised  
Anita: "Woah... I didn't except the son of Cruella to like dogs"  
Roger seemed worried, Jay and Evie saw it  
Evie: "Don't worry, he doesn't like them for their fur"  
Jay: "Til last week they were terrified of dogs"  
Snow White: "Really?"  
Evie smiled: "Really"  
Snow White: "What happened?"  
Evie: "Last week we were having a picnic, when we heard a bark they ran away"  
Jane: "I never saw someone ran so fast"  
Evie nodded  
Jay: "They are the fastest two on the Isle, people call them 'The Flashes'"  
Evie: "Anyhow, Adam managed to introduce them to Dude, they spent the rest of the afternoon playing" she shook her head "It took me hours to convinced them to get back in... their clothes were so dirty..."  
Jay rolled his eyes, then laughed: "Evie, look at them"  
Everyone looked at the two teenagers that were running and laughing around with the dog  
Evie: "Oh no... she is ruining the dress! And look at Carlos! He has dirt all over him"  
Jay was laughing so hard he bent on his knees  
Ben arrived at that moment: "What's so funny?"  
Jane: "Mal and Carlos" she was smiling  
Ben looked at Mal and Carlos and laughed  
Mal saw that Ben was back and waved at him, Ben waved too  
Snow White, Aladdin, and Jasmine, Anita and Roger saw this, they looked at Belle who had noticed the interaction between her son and Mal  
Snow White: "They seem to get along"  
Belle smiled: "They do"  
Jasmine: "What about Audrey?"  
Belle: "Ben broke up with her"  
Anita: "Really?"  
Belle nodded  
Rapunzel and Eugene Fitzherbert arrived  
Rapunzel: "I heard my daughter talk about the vks. Is it true that Mal joined the Tourney Team?"  
Adam arrived: "She did"  
They were talking in a circle while Ben and Jay tried to calm down Evie  
Cinderella and Florian, Ferdinand (Snow White's husband), Ariel and Eric, Mulan and Li Shang joined them  
Mulan: "Really? That's awesome"  
Belle: "She is awesome"  
Evie and Jay stopped talking when they heard what Belle said  
Mal and Carlos stopped running too and turned to look at the Queen, Dude stopped running too  
Mal was dumbfounded, they had heard what the Queen had said too  
Lonnie joined the group, she saw Dude in the distance: "Dude! Come here, boy!"  
Dude ran towards her  
Carlos caressed Mal's arm: "Let's go join them. We should meet Cruella's enemies"  
She nodded and they walked towards the group  
Lonnie: "Mal? Come here! I want you to meet my parents"  
Mal arrived  
Lonnie: "Mal, this is Mulan and Li Shang, my parents. Mom, Dad, this is Mal, my friend, and the first girl to join the Tourney Team"  
Mal waved at everyone  
Mulan looked at her, impress: "Well, congratulations!"  
Mal shrugged: "It was nothing. On the Isle, I've done more"  
Mulan: "Like what?"  
Mal smiled: "Trust me, you don't want to know"  
Lonnie: "Mal, do you know my mother's story?"  
Mal: "She is the woman that pretended to be a man to enter the army, isn't she?"  
Lonnie nodded  
Mal: "It's cool to meet you. Finally, a woman in the hero story who isn't all skirt and boundaries and damsel in distress"  
Carlos: "Uma, Ursula's daughter, adores you"  
Mulan smiled happily  
Anita: "Carlos, I'm Anita and this is Roger... I was a friend of your mother before she.. well before she did what she did"  
Carlos nodded: "I know. She talked about you"  
Mal went in front of Roger: "Wait a second. Are you the Roger that created the song?"  
Roger was nervous, out of the four Mal was the one who seemed scarier: "Yeah?"  
Mal smiled: "Carlos loves that song"  
Carlos laughed: "It's true"  
Roger was surprised: "You know it?"  
Mal: "If we know it? We have heard it since we were born"  
Roger: "And you like it?"  
Carlos: "Oh yeah"  
Roger smiled: "Anita hates it"  
Anita rolled her eyes  
Aurora approached them: "Mal"  
Mal: "Aurora"  
Aurora: "Can I talk to you?"  
Mal nodded  
They started walking

* * *

Aurora: "I wanted to ask you how it ended with Maleficent"  
Mal: "Adam will tell everyone what happened, in the afternoon. But I can make an exception"  
Aurora: "Thank you, Mal"  
Mal: "You know what our plan was, to kill her"  
Aurora: "Yes, but I have the feeling you didn't do it"  
Mal shook her head: "Not because we couldn't. But Maleficent acted sooner than excepted. She killed about 20 people, 11 of them were kids, I knew all of them. One of the kids was one of the sweetest, kindest and honest soul I've ever had the pleasure to meet, his name was Edward but everyone called him Eddie. Two days before coming here I had almost convinced Eddie to move in the Reformed Part, away from his father Gaston, Maleficent knew I cared for Eddie... he's dead because of me.."  
Aurora was listening, her Fairy Godmother wasn't the woman she once knew and loved, Mal had been right: "I'm sorry"  
Mal: "I got really angry. Mother always told me that strong emotions can make using magic easier, of course, I never used magic under the dome" she looked around "When I saw what she had done to Eddie I summoned her. She appeared in the Castle's garden, Adam wasn't happy about it. Carlos, FG, Jane, and I went to the Moors, the faires there indicated us the path towards the Lake, that is where magic is born, where it lives and dies. The Lake absorbed Maleficent's magic, now she is a human. We came back here and the next day we went to the Isle. She is there, waiting for a trial"  
Aurora: "Trial?"  
Mal nodded: "You see, the Isle may seem complete chaos but it's not the truth. The Isle is divided into 4 parts, the chaotic one is the Evil Part. Two of them are partially good and the last one is neutral. The SeaPart has a prison where Ursula, that rules there, puts those who don't respect the law. Maleficent killed too many people, mass murders without a good excuse aren't allowed"  
Aurora was surprised  
They kept walking in silence for a while  
Mal: "Can I ask you something?"  
Aurora: "Of course"  
Mal: "Does Audrey know the true story of our families?"  
Aurora: "No, she doesn't"  
Mal nodded: "No, of course. You know, when I was a kid I thought that heroes were supposed to be good. Now I understand, you simply won a battle and then decided to tell it as you wanted"  
Aurora: "Mal, I'm sorry. When Audrey was born, my mother decided what to tell her and what not to tell her. When Audrey was 13 years old, I decided to tell her the truth.. but it was useless, my mother had already done the damage... Audrey isn't evil"  
Audrey had seen her mother and Mal talking and was walking towards them  
Mal saw her: "I don't think she is evil, I think she needs to know the truth, or else she'll keep acting badly"  
Audrey: "Mom, what are talking about with Mal?"  
Mal: "I'll let you two talk" she went to talk to Adam  
Audrey: "What is going on?"  
She had noticed the complicity her mother shared with Mal like they were talking about something secret and important  
Aurora: "Audrey, I need to tell you something and I need you to act maturely, will you let me explain?"  
Audrey: "Of course, mom"  
Her mother was rarely so serious  
Aurora: "When you were little, I made a terrible mistake and only now I realize how wrong I was"  
Audrey was really worried now  
Aurora: "Let's go sit there"  
They sat at a table  
Aurora: "You don't know the real story of our family. Well, you know one side of the story, the wrong one"  
Audrey: "What do you mean?"  
Aurora: "Honey, your grandma lied to you. She told you the story that she liked but it wasn't the truth. Maleficent wasn't the villain of my story, not completely"  
Audrey was shocked: "What?"  
Aurora: "I'll tell you the truth. You deserve it. A long time before my birth, Maleficent was the most powerful fae of the Moors, that's why everybody knew that she would have been their ruler; at the same time my Grandpa wanted to expand his territory, conquering the Moors too but the creatures defended themselves very well.  
One day Maleficent met a young boy, his name was Stephan, they became friends and then lovers. Stephan wanted power, and when the occasion to obtain it came he decided to act.  
See, in one of the battles between the Moors and my Grandpa's reign, my grandpa got hurt badly and he promised that whoever took Maleficent's wings off, and offered them to him, would become the future King. Stephan took advantage of his friendship with Maleficent and took her wings, he became King and married Grandma... Maleficent was broken-hearted..."  
Audrey was frozen and didn't know what to say  
Aurora: "When I was born, and Maleficent didn't get the invitation to the christening .. she was pissed clearly and she wanted revenge. She cursed me and then disappeared. Or that's what everyone thought. In reality, she took care of me."  
Audrey: "What?"  
Aurora smiled: "She became my Fairy Godmother, you see Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.. they weren't really good nannies, I almost died a few times but Maleficent was there and saved me... She gave me the True Love's Kiss, her love saved me"  
Audrey: "But dad..?"  
Aurora laughed: "Honey, we met like once... how could he have loved me already?"  
Audrey: "Well if it's True Love.."  
Aurora: "Even True Love needs a little help. And even if it isn't the magic True Love with your father, it doesn't matter. We love each other"  
Audrey: "Why didn't you tell me the truth before?"  
Aurora smiled sadly: "I tried to.. but you were too young. The important thing now is, do you believe me?"  
Audrey: "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I?"  
Aurora: "For your Grandma"  
Audrey shook her head: "I believe you mom" she looked around and saw Mal talking with Belle "I have to apologize to Mal..." she turned to look at her mother "Mom, I acted so bad with her... and Maleficent, what about her now?"  
Aurora: "Maleficent... she isn't my Fairy Godmother anymore... too much happened... Adam will tell it this afternoon"  
Audrey: "Was that what you were talking about with Mal?"  
Aurora nodded  
Audrey tilted her head in the direction Mal was: "Will you come with me?"  
Aurora: "Of course, honey"  
They got up and together went towards Mal, who had heard them coming, turned towards them curious  
Mal: "Hello again, Audrey"  
Adam and Ben were near her, they had just finished talking about what to tell in the afternoon meeting  
Audrey: "Hi Mal.. could we talk?"  
Leah was walking angrily towards them  
Mal: "Sure"  
Leah: "Audrey, Aurora, what are you doing talking to her?"  
Audrey and Aurora looked at Leah with the same look of disappointment  
Aurora: "She knows the truth, mother. You can't do anything"  
Leah was crestfallen, Ben and Adam were confused  
The other vks arrived  
Carlos looked at Audrey and was about to say something but Mal stopped him  
Mal: "Audrey, you wanted to tell me something?"  
Audrey: "I'm sorry, I truly am. I didn't know the real story, that doesn't justify my behavior... I acted on prejudices given by stories I heard from my grandmother. I hope you can forgive me, Mal"  
Mal smiled: "Well, I suppose we are kind of family... or we would be if my mother was sane. And someone today helped me realize how important families are... I forgive you, Audrey. And I apologize too, I wasn't very kind either"  
Audrey smiled: "Thank you!"  
She went for a hug but Mal retracted immediately  
Audrey: "Oh, sorry I thought.." her smile dropped  
Mal shook her head: "My fault. It's an instinct I can't get rid of..." she sighed "What about a handshake?"  
Audrey smiled again: "Sure"  
They shook their hands  
Adam and Ben were still trying to understand what was this truth that Audrey now knew  
Ben: "Can I know the truth too?"  
Audrey looked at Ben: "I should apologize to you too, Ben. And to you guys. I'm sorry for how I treated you. And Ben, yes I knew that our relationship wasn't going to last... I'm sorry, I wasn't a good girlfriend"  
Ben: "It's ok, Audrey. Friends?"  
Audrey: "Always" She turned to look at the vks  
Evie: "I forgive you... if you accept to be my model for some dresses I'm making"  
Audrey smiled and nodded  
Jay: "Already forgiven"  
Carlos: "I forgive you if you promise that sometimes you will call Ben 'Benny Boo', to annoy him"  
Audrey smiled: "I think that is something only Mal can do"  
Mal looked confused: "Why?"  
Audrey was confused too: "Aren't you two dating?"  
Mal: "What? No"  
Audrey seemed surprised: "Oh" she looked at Evie, "I thought.. they aren't dating?"  
Evie shook her head  
Adam: "I'm still curious about this truth that everyone seems to know"  
Aurora: "Maleficent's true story... I think you should sit down Adam for this"  
Adam: "Ok, let's go sit there with Belle... she loves stories.." they went towards the table  
Ben: "Mal, how do you like the party?"  
Mal winced: "It's pretty boring"  
Ben: "You are kidding, right? You played with Dude, met Mulan and Roger, and Audrey apologized"  
Mal: "The parties we throw on the Isle are better"  
Carlos: "That's for sure"  
Audrey: "Really? You throw parties?"  
Jay: "Yes, on the Isle we throw parties. Why?"  
Audrey shrugged: "I don't know... Truth to be told, I never thought about what was happening on the Isle..."  
Mal: "One time we'll throw a party for you Princess and you'll see what it's like to have a blast"  
Evie: "Mal, here you can't do what we did on the Isle, it's not legal"  
Mal looked around to see if anyone was listening to them: "Nobody needs to know"  
Audrey looked around too: "What are you talking about?"  
Ben: "Mal, whatever you are planning can wait a few years"  
Mal: "Tsk, you can wait a few years, I'm going to a party. Don't you have pubs and discos here?"  
Ben: "Yes... but you can't drink"  
Carlos: "Again with this, we aren't your subjects. We can drink"  
Mal: "I'll talk to Adam"  
Carlos nodded  
Ben: "My father won't allow it"  
Mal made her eyes glow: "Then I'll use magic or even better I'll find someone who doesn't care about the law"  
Ben: "You won't find anyone like that"  
Evie: "Of course she will, she is Mal... And if you think here nothing bad happens, you are so naive"  
Ben, Jane, Lonnie, Doug, and Audrey looked at the vks  
Jane: "There is practically no crime here"  
Jay: "Sure... because when they commit a crime they get send on the Isle"  
Ben looked crestfallen: "No, he wouldn't"  
Mal looked at Ben: "Ben, don't you remember that night?" she looked sad  
Ben looked at her, horrified. He did remember that night, over the years the memory had become a nightmare  
Ben: "No" he was shaking his head  
Mal: "Ben"  
Ben: "No, he didn't" his hand went up to his hair "Please, tell me he didn't"  
Carlos, Evie, and Jay knew what Ben and Mal were talking about  
Evie: "Mal, this isn't the place to talk about this stuff" she looked at Belle and Adam "Take him and go somewhere else. Our or his room. Not here"  
Mal: "Ben, let's go to your room to talk, ok?"  
Ben let Mal grab his hand and drag him away  
Doug: "What was that about?"  
Carlos: "None of your business"  
Jane, Doug, Audrey, and Lonnie looked at him surprised and confused  
Evie: "What Carlos meant is.."  
But Jay interrupted: "What Carlos said is exactly what he meant. Evie, it's not something we are going to talk about. Certainly not with them" he had said 'them' with something similar to disgust  
Evie: "Jay"  
Jay looked seriously at his twin sister: "Enough Evie"  
Doug wanted to say something, defend Evie somehow but he understood that this wasn't a simple discussion and that Evie was able to defend herself  
Evie: "There was no need to be so rude" her eyes glowed angrily  
Jay: "I don't care if I sound rude, Evie.." he looked at Doug, Jane, Lonnie, and Audrey "This discussion is over"  
He and Carlos left to go somewhere  
Evie watched them leave, then turned to look at their new friends: "Sorry, it's a sensitive topic"  
Lonnie: "What were you talking about?"  
Evie shook her head: "I apologized for the tone, not the meaning of what Carlos said. We aren't going to talk about it" she left to go where her brother and her friend were  
Once she arrived near them, they started talking about something  
Doug: "Maybe we should leave them alone. They will come back when they are more... relaxed"  
Jane nodded  
Lonnie tried to change the subject: "Now we shall celebrate the return of our dear friend Audrey"  
Audrey was thinking about something else: "What do you think happened to Mal?"  
Doug: "Nothing good. Nothing we can understand"  
Audrey nodded: "Let's go play some cricket"

* * *

Evie, Jay, and Carlos were still talking when Belle approached them  
Belle: "Have you seen Ben?"  
The three teens looked at the Queen seriously for a moment, then Evie smiled  
Evie: "He is with Mal.. something came up and they needed to talk alone"  
Belle: "Are you alright, guys?" she noticed the vks didn't seem very happy  
Jay was about to say something but Evie grabbed his arm  
Evie: "Family problems, you know how men can be"  
Belle smiled: "I'll leave you talk"  
The Queen went to talk with Snow White, Aurora, Jasmine, Ariel, Anita, Cinderella, and Rapunzel  
Evie: "What's wrong with you Jay?"  
Jay: "Nothing. But we don't talk about that kind of stuff with them"  
Evie: "Why do you say 'them' like that?"  
Carlos: "Evie, only fools could think that we can live like them"  
Evie's glowed again: "Why do you say 'them' like that? Like they are some kind of different species"  
Jay: "Evie, we are different. They are too... happy and naive. We have lived different lives..."  
Evie pouted: "We don't have to be like them, we can live beside them, with them.." she looked around to find Doug "Some of them, at least"  
Jay watched his sister for a second then looked at Doug too: "Listen, Evie, I understand, really I do" he looked at Lonnie "But they won't love us, not for what we are, they can't"  
Carlos was watching Jane: "They can't know us.."  
Evie: "Mal has Ben. He knows her, he loves her. We can have that too"  
Carlos looked at her: "You think so?"  
Evie: "I know so. We'll get the love we deserve"  
Jay: "Evie.."  
Evie: "With your attitude, you will get nothing" she looked at Lonnie, Doug, and Jane "They gave us a chance when we came here, let's do the same. We don't have to tell them everything right now, we can enjoy these moments with them"  
Jay smiled: "Fine, I'm in"  
Carlos nodded: "Me too"  
Evie smiled: "Well, let's go join them"  
Jay: "Wait, you think Mal is ok alone with Ben?"  
Evie: "She can handle him"  
Jay nodded and they went to meet their friends at the cricket field  
Jay: "Listen, guys, I'm sorry. We won't talk about Mal's problem, but I was rude and for that, I apologize"  
Carlos: "I'm sorry too"  
Audrey: "No problem"  
Lonnie smiled and nodded  
Jane: "It's ok"  
Doug: "I forgive you both, but I want you guys to know that we are here if you need or want to talk"  
Evie touched his arm: "Thank you, Doug" she looked at the girls "Thank you all. Why don't we stop talking about this and... what are we supposed to do now?"  
Lonnie: "Cricket is super boring, we could do something more exciting"  
Jay: "Like what?"  
Lonnie: "Let's dance"  
Jane: "But nobody is dancing"  
Carlos: "So what? Lonnie is right! Let's dance"  
Doug: "That would be cool, but there is no music"  
Carlos smirked: "Isn't there?" his eyes glowed  
Out of nowhere music came  
Audrey: "Woah, you have magic?"  
Lonnie: "Best trick ever" and she started dancing  
Doug: "Well, in this case, madame will you dance with me?" he bowed in front of Evie  
Evie: "I'd love too"  
Carlos: "Come on Jane!"  
Jay: "Audrey, will you dance with me?"  
Audrey blushed: "Sure, thanks"  
They started dancing  
Everyone looked at them  
Cinderella: "Adorables"  
Aurora and Philip looked astonished at their daughter, Leah was furious  
Leah: "Audrey! What are you doing?"  
Audrey and Jay stopped dancing  
Audrey confused: "I'm dancing"  
Leah: "With him? He is a criminal!"  
Audrey huffed: "No, he isn't. The only villain here is you, Grandma"  
Leah gasped  
Audrey: "They aren't evil. They aren't villains. They are good people"  
Lonnie: "Leah, we were dancing. What's wrong with that?"  
Jane was sending dirty looks at Leah: "Was the problem the use of magic? Because Carlos can use it, my mother gave him and the other vks the permission"  
Leah: "Lies!"  
FG got in front of Leah, near her daughter: "Jane is saying the truth. Why would my daughter lie? Leah, your behavior towards these kids is simply evil"  
Adam: "And I won't accept it anymore. It's enough Leah. You are to leave the party, now." he looked at Aurora "I'm sorry but I can't let her keep insulting these kids"  
Aurora nodded: "No, you are right. Mother, go home. We'll talk once I'll come back"  
Leah: "Fine, I'll leave" and she left murmuring nonsense  
Adam: "Carlos?"  
Carlos smirked: "Yes, sir"  
Adam smiled: "Music, please"  
Carlos: "Yes, sir"  
They all started dancing

* * *

When the music stopped they sat at their tables, the vks sat with the aks at a circular table in the order: Carlos, Jane, Audrey, Evie, Lonnie, Doug, and Jay  
Adam: "I have something important to say. Many of you know that on Monday something weird happened, and because of that, the school closed. I'm happy to announce that the problem has been solved and the school will open tomorrow. I'm sure that you all are wondering what happened and I'm here to explain it" he looked around "On Monday evening, during dinner Magic screamed to tell us that Maleficent had discovered that Mal and Carlos were here, she wasn't happy about it and was planning a way to escape the Isle. From Tuesday Mal and Carlos with the help of FG and Jane planned a way to destroy Maleficent forever, they found it. Unfortunately Maleficent was able to kill 20 innocents before we could do anything.  
With the help of the creatures of the Moors, Maleficent is now harmless and on the Isle without the possibility of escape. I imagine you have questions, please ask away"  
Cinderella: "How are you so sure that Maleficent is harmless and on the Isle?"  
Mal came out of nowhere: "I can answer that, Adam if you don't mind"  
Adam nodded  
Ben arrived at the table of the vks: "Hey, can I sit with you?"  
Carlos: "Take my place, I should be there with Mal" he got up to go near Mal  
Evie: "Are you okay?"  
Ben smiled: "Sure"  
Carlos was near Mal and whispered something to her, Mal nodded  
Mal: "Cinderella, I can promise you that Maleficent is harmless because she is human now and she is in prison. Next Sunday morning she will be prosecuted by a jury on the Isle"  
Cinderella nodded  
Ariel got up: "Adam, you said that you were helped by the creatures of the Moors. This means that Maleficent was here, am I right?"  
Mal and Carlos let Adam answer  
Adam: "She was here, for a day and a half. Under the custody of Mal and Carlos"  
Aladdin: "I'm sorry but why Maleficent was interested in Carlos? And what does 'the magic screamed' mean?"  
Adam looked at Mal and Carlos  
Mal: "I'll answer the question about the magic first. When we, magic users, say 'magic screamed' we aren't talking about a simple scream. When magic screams it means that someone powerful is angry or in pain. In this case, Magic screamed when Maleficent got angry. More questions about this?"  
Aladdin: "No, I understood"  
Everyone else nodded  
Carlos smiled  
Mal: "Perfect. Now, I'll ask you to stay calm. Look carefully at Carlos and me"  
The twins stood close  
Aladdin that was still standing: "Oh my God"  
Ariel: "You are siblings"  
Mal snorted: "I wish. We are twins"  
Anita: "But you said you were Cruella's son"  
Carlos smirked: "Unfortunately, it's true"  
Flynn Rider: "What the hell is going on?"  
Mal smiled: "Since it's still about magic I'll answer. You see, you are fools. You thought that putting my mother, the Mistress of Evil, under a dome anti-magic would be enough, but that isn't how things work. Magic can't be tamed, so it returned to her. She wasn't sane anymore, and she was plotting a way to destroy you all so she searched for a way to do it. We are that 'way', kinda. She found a spell, she put it on herself, Cruella and Hades and here we are. I'm the daughter of Maleficent and Hades, and Carlos is the son of Cruella and Hades. At least from a biological point of view. Magically we are both children of Maleficent"  
Everyone was silent  
Snow White: "So you are an experiment?"  
Mal's smiled dropped: "Yes, we are"  
Rapunzel's smile was sympathetic: "But you didn't turn up as she wanted, did you?"  
Carlos: "No, we didn't"  
Mal: "And we paid the price for that... more than once"  
Mulan: "And you destroyed her... it was very brave of you. I think I speak for all the presents when I say, thank you both"  
Mal and Carlos bowed their head  
Philip: "Can I ask something private?"  
Mal: "Sure"  
Philip: "What are you? And why don't you refer to Adam as King?"  
Mal sighed and looked up at the sky: "Here we go again"  
Carlos smiled: "I'm happy you asked, dear Philip. We are part magic and part Gods. We don't refer to Adam as King because he isn't our King."  
Philip: "Why?"  
Carlos's smiled grew: "We aren't humans, like at all. All magic creatures aren't Adam's subject. And we are also Gods"  
Philip: "Are you saying you can't die?"  
Mal grabbed Carlos's arm: "We don't know yet. I guess we will find out"  
FG: "Mal"  
Mal turned confused to look at FG: "Yes?"  
FG: "Tell them"  
Mal: "I don't think it's a good idea"  
FG: "Tell them"  
Mal shrugged: "If you insist. Carlos, I'm tired, the stage is yours"  
Carlos: "Mal died on the Isle multiple times. The last time she died was to protect you. After we defeated Maleficent we had to bring her back to the Isle, so we went back. The day we were supposed to come back, Gaston attacked us and killed her. Jane was with us, she saw it" He looked at Jane "Sorry Fairy Jane, I had to say it in case they didn't believe me." he smiled  
Jane chuckled at the nickname he had used  
Mal smiled too at Jane and winked at her  
Audrey got up: "You died!?" she didn't know why but the idea of Mal dead was awful  
Mal: "Yes, Princess. Don't worry, I'm fine now"  
Audrey: "Fine? Fine!? You died. And you died multiple times? You are not fine. Oh my God. I'm going to faint"  
Lonnie grabbed her: "Audrey, sit down"  
Mal: "Princess, I'm moved by your concern but I'm fine really. I'm used to it. I've died like.. thousands of times. The first time I was five, and you know Maleficent and Cruella and all the villains you put there." she shrugged  
Aurora was paler than a ghost, like a lot of people  
Ferdinand: "Oh my God, what have we done?"  
Aurora: "Wasn't the curse only on the villains?"  
Mal: "Many of you thought or think that we are villains too"  
Ariel: "How many kids can do that?"  
Mal: "Only me"  
Jasmine: "Are you sure?"  
Mal: "Yes. I did my research. I'm the only one that can do it. Carlos never had the chance to die, so we'll never know if he can come back"  
Carlos: "But I had a lot of 'almost death' experiences" he was trying to brag  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Audrey: "FG, did you visit her? Is she okay? We need to go to the hospital"  
Mal smiled: "Adorable. Audrey, there is no need"  
Hercules: "Could it be because you are Hades's daughter?"  
Mal looked at him abruptly: "It could be. But that would mean that I can't be killed.. not even here"  
Hercules nodded  
Carlos: "You are Hercules, aren't you?"  
Hercules smiled: "Yes, did Hades talk about me?"  
Mal: "Yeah, you are exactly like he described you"  
Hercules curiously: "How did he describe me?"  
Mal and Carlos: "Annoyingly handsome"  
Hercules laughed  
Mal: "He has a message for you"  
Carlos: "Could we talk in private?"  
Hercules: "Sure"  
Carlos went to talk with him  
Carlos: "He apologizes. He knows what he did was awful, but now he is different and he hopes that you will forgive him..."  
Hercules smiled: "I forgave him long ago. We are family after all"  
Mal: "Something else to ask?"  
Nobody got up  
Mal: "Cool. Good evening"  
Mal joined her friends: "Ben"  
Ben had been silent for all the discussion, he got up  
Mal: "Evie, we are going back to the Castle"  
Evie nodded  
The party continued, it wasn't as happy as before  
Some heroes approached Evie, Jay, and Carlos to talk, to apologize  
When the party finished they all went back to the dorm where they found Mal and Ben  
Ben left to go to his dorm  
And the vks went to sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy  
> Here's the new chapter  
> I wanted to make sure that Auradon knew the truth and this is the best occasion  
> Next chapter, the truth about Harry  
> Hope you like it  
> Byeee


	35. The Truth About Harry

Mal dragged Ben inside the school, through the hallways  
Ben: "Where are we going?"  
Mal: "In your room, we have to talk"  
Ben let her dragged him  
Mal closed the door behind her  
Ben was standing in the center of the room, in shock  
Mal: "Ben, come with me" she took his hands and dragged him in front of his bed, she put her hands on his shoulder "Sit"  
He sat on the bed, Mal crouched down in front of him  
Mal: "Ben"  
Ben looked at her in the eyes  
Mal: "Talk to me"  
Ben: "That night. It's my father's fault"  
Mal: "Ben, your father didn't make that criminal do anything. Not that man nor any other criminal"  
Ben: "If he hadn't sent those criminals there.."  
Mal: "If it hadn't been that man, it would have been another one. You know it"  
Mal remembered that night

* * *

 _She was 5 years old, she was walking around the Evil Part when she heard someone screaming_  
 _A woman_  
 _She started walking towards the noise, then at an alley she stopped and looked sideways_  
 _At her right, she saw something she will never forget_  
 _A man was standing blocking the way out for the girl who was trying to escape_  
 _Mal had been wrong, it wasn't a woman, it was a girl, probably 16 years old_  
 _The man grabbed the girl and pinned her to the ground_  
 _The girl stopped screaming, she became a statue_  
 _Mal couldn't do anything but watch_  
 _When the man had finished, he got up and left_  
 _The girl stood there, laying on the ground_  
 _Mal approached her_  
 _Mal: "Hey, you need to stand up. It's about to rain and you know what happens. Get up"_  
 _The girl was bleeding, she whispered: "Do you have a knife?"_  
 _Mal: "Of course I do"_  
 _The girl: "Give it to me"_  
 _Mal sighed: "Fine" she gave the girl the knife, she already knew what the girl wanted to do_  
 _The girl took the knife, she sat down and looked at Mal: "You need to be brave, little girl. This world is awful. Beware and be strong, fragile people don't survive" she caressed lightly Mal's face_  
 _Mal got up, took a step back, and then sat down_  
 _The girl stabbed herself in the throat_  
 _At that moment it started raining_  
 _Mal was protected by some kind of roof_  
 _The girl was already dead when the rain started burning her_  
 _Mal waited there for the rain to stop, she never stopped watching the girl's body_  
 _When the rain stopped Mal got up, took the knife, and left_  
From that moment Mal was even more careful when walking the streets

* * *

Ben: "Maybe"  
Mal looked at him seriously: "Ben"  
Ben: "I don't know how you don't hate me"  
Mal smiled: "Because you are you. I'd never hate you, Ben. You are the reason why I'm alive, why I'm here, far away from Maleficent and her cruelty. Why would I hate you? You are nothing like your father"  
Ben smiled: "And you are nothing like your mother"  
Mal sighed: "Maleficent isn't my mother. She is my creator. Anyway, you feel better?"  
Ben nodded  
Mal: "Very well"  
Ben: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Yes?"  
Ben: "Who is Harry?"  
Mal stilled for a moment, she knew sooner or later he would have asked that question  
Ben: "You don't have to answer me now.. maybe another day.."  
Mal: "No, I want to tell you. It's just... difficult for me to talk about it"  
Ben, worried about her: "There's no need to talk about it. Really"  
Mal: "Ben, I'll tell you everything. Now shut up and calm down"  
Mal got up and sat near Ben  
Mal: "I was 13 years old and I was walking around one night when he attacked me. I was between the Evil Part and the SeaPart. Harry is Captain Hook's son, the older one. At the time he was 18, I think. He came out of nowhere, I got scared. I remember that at first he smiled and apologized for scaring me, then he asked me my name, I told him I was Mal, he asked if I was alone and I said yes. At that moment his smile became evil, he tackled me and I fell on the ground, he grabbed my hair and dragged me into a dark alley. There he beat me up, he almost killed me. I passed out, the next morning I woke up, I had several cuts on my body, I was in the hospital of the Reformed Part. Uma had heard me screaming, she had stopped Harry and brought me there"  
Ben had listened in silent  
Mal: "Anastasia was still visiting me when I woke up" she took a deep breath, "She told me that Harry was about to do what that man did so many years before to that girl... but Uma had arrived to stop him"  
Ben sighed in relief  
Mal: "I met Harry again a few months later, he was drunk and about to do the same thing he tried to do to me with a younger girl than me. I remember that I smiled, I whistled, he turned to look at me and I throw my blade at him, it trespassed him through the heart" she smiled "I helped the little girl and brought her to the hospital as Uma did with me. Harry is dead now"  
Ben nodded  
Mal sighed: "The end"  
Ben smiled: "A happy ending"  
Mal: "You could say that I guess" she watched him closely "How are you?"  
Ben: "I'm glad you told me about Harry. I'm sorry that something like that happened... I wish I could have done something to protect you.."  
Mal smiled: "We don't know how the connection works, you saved me when I needed you... Maybe, in this case, the magic that bond us knew that Uma was there..." her smile dropped "Or maybe what Harry was about to do wasn't as important as other things... You didn't appear all the times I died"  
Ben grimaced  
Mal: "It's ok" she rubbed his back  
Ben looked at her: "Now that you are here"  
Mal smiled and nodded: "You ready to go back?" she tilted her head towards the window "The party isn't that bad"  
Ben: "I'd love that"  
They got up  
Ben took Mal's hand, she turned to look at him  
Mal: "What is it?"  
Ben: "Mal... "  
Mal looked at him in the eyes and understood what he was thinking: "I know"  
Ben: "Maybe it's time... we should talk.."  
Mal put her hand on his mouth: "No, we shouldn't" she smiled and looked down "There is no need to talk, we know... let's just take one step at a time, ok?"  
Ben: "Ok... with 'one step at a time' what do you mean?"  
Mal rolled her eyes, she smiled, she stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek lightly  
Ben blushed  
Mal: "Is it enough, for now?"  
Ben simply nodded  
They went back to the party  
Ben: "My dad is giving a speech"  
Mal: "He is probably talking about Maleficent and all the mess she made"  
Ben: "Probably"  
Mal: "I should go and help him, you go sit with the guys"  
Ben: "Fine" he smiled, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, she looked at him in the eyes  
Mal whispered without knowing why: "What are you doing?"  
Ben kissed her on the cheek  
Mal blushed and smiled: "Idiot"  
Ben: "Your idiot"  
Mal laughed and went near Adam while Ben joined their friends

* * *

When the discussion was over Mal went to the table of her friends  
Mal: "Ben"  
Ben got up  
Mal: "Evie, we are going back to the Castle"  
Ben: "Mal, why are we going to the Castle?"  
Mal: "Because I want to"  
Ben rolled his eyes  
They arrived at the Castle and went to the kitchen  
Mal: "Mrs. Potts?"  
Mrs. Potts: "Mal, Ben. What are you doing here?"  
Mal: "The party was sooo boring" she hopped on the kitchen island  
Mrs. Potts laughed: "Of course it was" she looked at Ben "And what about you, Ben? Does your father know you are here?"  
Ben shrugged: "I guess he'll found out when he doesn't see me there"  
Mrs. Potts was surprised, she looked at Mal: "It seems like you are a bad influence on him"  
Mal laughed: "Please, I'm exactly the kind of influence he needs" she winked at Ben who blushed  
Mrs. Potts smiled, it was nice to see Ben acting like a teenager, he was always so serious before Mal arrived while now he seemed finally free of some kind of burden...  
Mal: "Is there something to eat?"  
Mrs. Potts: "What about a tea with muffins?"  
Mal tilted her head, confused: "Muffins?"  
Mrs. Potts sighed sadly  
Ben growled, angry at his father again  
Mal, understanding why he reacted that way: "Ben"  
Ben looked at her, torn between the anger towards his father and the sadness for her life  
Mal smiled and shrugged: "It's ok. I have all my life to know this kind of stuff. There is no need to get angry" she turned towards Mrs. Potts "What are muffins?"  
Mrs. Potts: "I'll make them" she looked at Ben "Or rather we'll make them"  
Ben: "Me? You know that I don't know how to bake"  
Mrs. Potts: "I'm sure Mal will appreciate your muffins"  
Mal was reading the recipe for muffins but perked up at her name: "What?"  
Ben: "Nothing"  
They started baking the muffins, Mal made the tea, when they finished they all sat at the little table near the window  
Ben and Mrs. Potts looked at Mal, while she was taking the first bite of a muffin  
Mal moaned: "This is amazing"  
Mrs. Potts: "That one was made by Ben"  
Mal looked at Ben, astonished: "Woah Ben. It's really good"  
Ben smiled happy that Mal liked the muffin  
They sat there drinking the tea and eating the muffins  
It was almost 9 p.m. when Ben decided it was better to go back to the dorms  
Ben: "It's better if we go back to Auradon Prep, we have to go to school tomorrow"  
Mal snorted: "Fine. Goodnight Mrs. Potts"  
They went to school, to the vks room  
Ben: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Ben?" she smirked, he was acting awkwardly  
Ben: "Would you go on a date with me?"  
Mal's jaw dropped open  
Ben looked at her: "Mal?"  
Mal closed her mouth, she cleared her throat: "A date?"  
Ben: "Yes" then he realized "You don't know what a date is?"  
Mal glared at him: "I know what a date is"  
Ben raised his hands: "Sorry"  
Mal: "I just.." she looked at him in the eyes "Yes"  
Ben tried to hide the smile that was forming on his face: "Yes?"  
Mal: "Yes, I'll go on a date with you"  
Ben smiled from ear to ear  
Mal smiled too, then she heard someone coming  
Evie opened the door and entered: "Hello Ben"  
Carlos and Jay entered the room, they nodded at Ben  
Ben: "I'll go, see you tomorrow"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the truth about Harry is revealed  
> Mal is accepting her feelings for Ben  
> The next chapter is a sleepover and the girls will be sharing secrets!  
> Hope you like it  
> Byeee


	36. Normality

The vks woke up, got dressed and went to the cafeteria, and got in line for the buffet  
Then they went to sit at their table and started eating  
Mal was silent, she was thinking about Ben  
Jay turned to Mal: "We have Geography, History and Remedial Goodness 101 today"  
Mal sarcastically: "Cool"  
Evie: "Carlos and I have Science, History and Remedial Goodness 101"  
Jay: "We also have Tourney"  
Mal: "Now that something really cool. Can't wait"  
Carlos smiled: "Me too"  
Evie rolled her eyes  
Audrey, Jane, and Lonnie arrived and sat at the table  
Audrey: "Girls would you like to do a sleepover?"  
Jane: "Yes!"  
Lonnie: "Definitely"  
Mal: "What's a sleepover?"  
Audrey: "It's when you go and sleep at your friend's house, in this case, it would be in my room, and you share secrets, dance, eat candies, watch movies... stuff like that"  
Evie: "It seems fun! I'm in"  
Mal shrugged: "Sure"  
Evie looked at Jay and Carlos: "You could do something like that in our room too"  
Carlos: "Why not? Ben and Doug could stay"  
Jay nodded: "Also the son of Aladdin. He's cool"  
Carlos nodded  
Doug and Ben arrived  
Doug: "Hello guys"  
Ben: "Goodmorning, how are you?  
Carlos and Mal: "Peachy"  
The others smiled while Audrey looked at the twins: "How?"  
Carlos: "Telepathy"  
Audrey: "Really?"  
Mal: "Yeah"  
Audrey smiled: "Cool"  
The bell rang  
Mal and Carlos winced  
Evie: "Come on! Let's go"  
They got up and went to class  
Mal, Jay, Audrey, and Jane went to Geography while Doug, Evie, Carlos, Lonnie, and Ben went to Science  
The vks reunited for Remedial Goodness 101

* * *

FG: "Hello guys! How was your day?"  
Mal: "Amazingly boring"  
FG smiled: "I imagine that compared to last week is boring"  
Carlos: "You bet"  
Evie smiled: "My day was awesome. Audrey invited us to a sleepover, science was interesting as always. History..a little boring. And now we are here"  
Jay: "Yeah we are here, what are we going to do?"  
FG: "Well, you are technically good. We can use this time to talk about what happens during the day or if you want to share an experience on the Isle"  
Mal: "Like a shrink"  
FG: "No, like a friend"  
Mal raised an eyebrow  
FG sighed: "Call it as you want"  
Evie: "I would like to ask something"  
FG smiled: "Yes, Evie?"  
Evie: "What are the festivities you celebrate here?"  
FG: "Well, we have Family Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Valentine's Day, and Easter"  
Evie was writing the festivities down on a paper, Mal was sitting on the desk, Carlos was sitting with his feet on the table  
Jay: "And what about the Coronation?"  
FG nodded: "This year there will be Ben's coronation, on the 1st of December"  
Mal was confused: "Why the 1st?"  
FG: "It's his birthday"  
Mal: "Oh" she looked down "Right"  
FG was curious: "When are your birthdays?"  
Jay: "Our parents think we were born on the 2nd of November"  
Carlos tilted his head towards Mal: "We don't know"  
FG: "You don't know the exact date of your birthday?"  
Evie: "The thing is the Isle didn't have calendars till the second year of its existence, they counted the days but didn't know the date"  
Mal: "Maleficent couldn't care less what date we were born. We know it was summer, technically midsummer... what's the month?"  
Carlos: "July"  
Mal: "We were born probably in July"  
FG was serious: "That's awful"  
Mal: "No, it's not that bad. We could choose a date" she turned to look at Carlos  
Carlos: "What about... the 15th of July?"  
Mal: "Love it" she looked at FG and smiled "We were born on the 15th of July"  
FG smiled too  
They kept talking until the bell rang

* * *

The vks were in the cafeteria  
Mal: "It's a beautiful day outside, can't we do a.. how did they call it?"  
Carlos: "Picnic"  
Mal: "That"  
Evie: "There are tables outside too, let's pick the food and go eat outside"  
Mal smiled happily  
They took the food and turned to go outside, they saw Ben and Doug  
Doug: "Where are you going?"  
Jay: "Outside, Mal wants to eat outside"  
Ben: "Can we join you?"  
Carlos: "Of course, Benny Boo"  
Mal laughed and Ben grunted  
They all went outside and met Lonnie at a table  
Lonnie: "Hey!"  
Mal: "Hello Lonnie"  
Carlos: "Hey, you and Mal had the same idea apparently"  
Lonnie, confused, tilted her head to the side  
Evie: "Mal wanted to eat outside so we came here"  
Lonnie: "Oh" she looked at Mal, smiled, and raised a hand to high five "Cool!"  
Mal looked at Lonnie's hand and raised an eyebrow  
Lonnie: "Highfive!"  
Mal: "I'm sorry what?"  
Lonnie sighed: "Ben, high-five me" he did it  
Mal: "Why?"  
Doug: "It's just something we do, like to celebrate"  
Mal shrugged and raised a hand towards Lonnie, who gave her a high-five  
Jay: "Ben, Doug. Would you like to come over to our room? To sleep and watch some movies?"  
Ben: "Like a sleepover?"  
Carlos: "Yeah yeah"  
Doug: "Sure"  
Ben: "Could be fun"  
Audrey arrived with Jane: "There you are. Mal, Evie, Lonnie, the sleepover is Friday"  
Mal: "Cool"  
Evie: "I could make some pajamas for the occasion!"  
Audrey smiled: "That would be awesome! We could take photos together! And every time we do a sleepover we use those pajamas!"  
Lonnie: "I love this idea!"  
Jane: "That's so cool!"  
Mal: "Is it too late to change my mind? I could go to the sleepover of the boys"  
The boys laughed  
Evie glared at her: "Yes, it's too late"  
Mal sighed

* * *

Friday  
Evie: "Yay! Sleepover Day!"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "The perfect end for a perfectly normal week"  
Jay: "It actually was very normal"  
Carlos: "Well, I must say... I liked this normal week in Auradon"  
Mal: "Me too"  
The day went by quickly, they went to class, they did their homework, and then Mal, Jay, and Carlos went to Tourney Practice while Evie stayed on the bleachers with Doug and Lonnie  
Coach: "Mal, Jay, Carlos. You need to pass more!"  
Mal: "But Coach! You put me with Chad! He sucks!"  
Chad: "Hey! Witch show some respect!"  
Mal raised an eyebrow  
Audrey and Jane that were doing their cheerleader practice, heard him  
Audrey: "Chad! She'll respect you when you respect her! Also, she defeated Maleficent! Grow the hell up!"  
Jane just shook her head  
Mal smiled at Audrey: "Thank you, Princess!"  
Chad: "Why do you call her Princess?!"  
Mal: "Cause she is a princess?" she looked at him like he was the dumbest person in the world  
Ben arrived near Chad: "You got a problem?"  
Jay, Carlos, and Amir arrived too  
Chad snorted: "You defeated Maleficent but you need a squad to talk to me?"  
Jay laughed: "We aren't here to defend her. We are to watch her beat you up"  
Coach interrupted them standing between Mal and Chad: "Nobody is getting beat up! Mal, you go with Amir, Chad you go with James!"  
They began to play again with no accidents  
Coach: "Ok, practice is over! Mal come here!"  
Chad smirked evilly: "Someone is in trouble"  
Mal rolled her eyes, she approached the coach  
Mal: "What's wrong, Coach?"  
Coach: "Listen, Mal, I understand that Chad is insufferable sometimes but you cannot beat him up, ok?"  
Mal nodded: "I won't let him provoke me again, Coach"  
Coach smiled: "Good. You are very good and I need you to play the matches"  
Mal nodded and smiled  
Coach: "Now go"  
Evie, Audrey, Jane, and Lonnie had waited for Mal  
Evie: "What did he say?"  
Lonnie: "Are you in trouble?"  
Mal: "He just told me to not beat up Chad. I'm not in trouble"  
The girls sighed in relief  
Audrey: "I'll talk with Chad"  
Mal shook her head: "Let him act like a baby, when he'll see that nobody cares about his tantrums he'll stop"  
The girls went back to the dorms, Mal took a shower, and then they went to the cafeteria for dinner  
Then Mal and Evie went to their room and took their stuff and went to Audrey's room  
Evie knocked, Jane opened the door and they entered  
Audrey smiled: "Let's get this sleepover started!"  
Meanwhile, at the vks room Ben, Doug, and Amir had arrived, Jay had let them in  
Carlos smiled: "Let's get this party started!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!  
> How are you?  
> Amir is Aladdin and Jasmine's son  
> James is Flynn Rider and Rapunzel's son  
> Hope you like the chapter


	37. Sleepover

The girls were having a lot of fun  
Mal: "This is fun"  
Audrey: "Told you"  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Audrey: "Mal, what are you going to do about Chad?"  
Mal: "Nothing, if I do something about him then I would have to do something about every person that thinks like him... it would be really hard and boring"  
Lonnie: "Is there someone that is bothering you?"  
Mal: "Nah"  
Evie looked at Mal: "You can trust them, Mal"  
Mal looked at Evie, then at the other girls that nodded and smiled  
Mal: "Fine. There isn't anyone in particular that bothers me... I just hear the comments. I don't care what they think but... I'm used to people insulting me, catcalling me... I was attacked multiple times... But here?" she looked at Evie, who smiled, "I thought that here you were goody-two-shoes... hypocrites of course... But some of the things I heard.."  
Jane: "What do they say?"  
Mal: "They insult us for our outfits, for the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we act with each other... some of the girls insult me because I joined the Tourney Team"  
Mal seemed truly sad about this  
Audrey: "Mal... I'm so sorry... it's awful... I can't tell you how much sorry I am for the way I treated you"  
Mal shrugged: "It's ok. I survived Maleficent, I can survive some evil comments"  
Jane: "But it shouldn't happen"  
Mal: "Doesn't matter. Let's change the topic" she smiled  
Evie: "Fine"  
Audrey: "Ok. Mal, are you or aren't you dating Ben?"  
Mal turned serious: "I was wrong. Let's talk about how you Auradonians are bullies"  
The other girls looked at her bemused  
Mal: "Fine. We aren't dating... but he asked me to go out with him..."  
The girls waited for a few seconds  
Evie: "And?"  
Mal: "What?"  
Lonnie eagerly: "What did you say?"  
Mal: "I said yes"  
The girls all squeaked  
Mal covered her ears: "What the heck?"  
Evie: "When is the date?"  
Mal: "Uhm.. we haven't decided.. he just asked me and I said yes..."  
The girls frowned  
Jane: "He didn't tell you when?"  
Mal: "No, but I mean... I'm shocked that I even said yes..."  
Evie nodded  
Audrey: "Why?"  
Evie: "Mal always bragged about her being 'not relationship material' on the Isle" she rolled her eyes "No man could get to her"  
Mal smiled then winked at Jane: "But girls could"  
The three aks looked shocked  
Lonnie: "You had girlfriends?"  
Mal winced: "Girlfriends is such a strong word. No, I had a good time with many girls"  
Evie: "I remember those times"  
Lonnie: "You two had a... good time together?"  
Mal: "Nono. But we both had a good time with girls, she had good times with boys too"  
Evie nodded: "Very good times"  
Audrey looked at Mal: "Oh... but you like Ben, right?"  
Mal: "It's different with Ben. On the Isle, I would have fun with the girls and that was it, there were no feelings, it was simple attraction" she sighed "But Ben... he... I don't know how to explain it.."  
Audrey smiled: "Seems to me like you are in love"  
Mal got mad  
Evie: "Oh no"  
Audrey: "What?"  
Mal: "You people use that word so easily it has lost its meaning. I don't love him, not yet. Maybe I will, maybe not" she got up "I don't want to stay here anymore" she got up  
Evie grabbed her arm: "Mal, wait"  
Mal glared at her  
Evie sighed: "Fine, go"  
Mal got out of the room  
Jane: "Well... it was all going fine until the word 'love' came out, but it could have been worse"  
Lonnie shook her head: "We have to talk to her"  
Evie: "I'm staying here. I know that girl enough to know when to stop"  
Audrey sighed: "I should apologize"  
Evie: "Not if you want to live. She forgave you, not your family. And, no offense, but your grandfather 'loved' her mother and look at how it went"  
Audrey: "Is that why she is scared of the word?"  
Evie: "She lived with Maleficent for most of her life, what do you think she told her about love?"  
Jane: "I'll go talk to her"  
Evie watched Jane for a good minute: "Yeah, you could survive"  
Jane got up and went out of the room

* * *

The boys were having a lot of fun too until Jay asked something that made things awkward  
Jay: "Doug, what are your intentions with my sister?"  
The room fell silent  
Doug: "My intentions?"  
Jay: "Yeah. You like her?"  
Doug blushed: "Well, yeah I do"  
Jay nodded: "And you want to date her?"  
Doug: "I mean.. we met 3 weeks ago so and I don't know if she likes me..."  
Jay looked serious  
Doug: "You think that I should ask her out?"  
Jay simply kept looking at him  
Doug: "Tomorrow I'll ask her out"  
Jay smiled and gave him a pat on the back: "Good boy"  
Doug relaxed a little  
Carlos looked at Ben and smirked: "Your turn"  
Amir laughed  
Ben: "What, Carlos?"  
Carlos: "What are your intentions with my sister?"  
Ben: "I like her very much but I respect her time and space. I asked her out already and she said yes. You don't have to give any type of advice, thank you very much. And this is all I'm going to tell you about our relationship at the moment"  
Carlos looked astonished for a second and then smiled: "Now that is a good speech. Perfect"  
At that moment someone knocked at the door  
Carlos looked confused: "What are you doing here?"  
The other boys, beside Jay, looked confused  
Mal: "Can I come in?"  
Jay got up to open the door and Mal got in the room  
Doug: "Why was it lock?"  
Carlos looked at him briefly: "Safety"  
Jay: "What happened?"  
Mal went straight to her bed and sat there  
Mal sighed: "Girls"  
Amir nodded: "Amen sister"  
Mal smiled at him  
Jay: "What happened?"  
Mal: "They started talking about stuff I didn't want to talk about..."  
Jay locked eyes with her: "Are you ok?"  
Mal nodded  
Doug turned to Carlos: "How did you know it was Mal?"  
Carlos: "Magic"  
Doug: "Explain"  
Carlos whined and Mal rolled her eyes  
Mal: "We are connected through magic, so we can kind of feel each other presence. Also, we can hear much better than humans so he heard me walking here"  
Doug was about to say something but Mal interrupted him: "Jay heard me because he can recognize my walk. It's something you learn to do on the Isle"  
Doug nodded  
Ben: "You are going to sleep here?"  
Mal looked at him: "Yes, Benny Boo. It is my room. Don't worry, I won't bother your bro night"  
Someone knocked at the door  
Mal: "Jane, I'm not coming back"  
Jane from outside: "Come on, Mal! Audrey didn't mean anything bad"  
Mal snorted  
Jane opened the door: "Oh hello guys" she looked shy for a moment, then turned to Mal "Come back"  
Mal looked at Jane, that was pouting, for a few minutes  
Amir whispered: "Woah, I can feel the tension"  
Doug nodded  
Mal sighed and got up: "Fine, Fairy Jane but only because you are asking me"  
Carlos shook his head: "Ben could get jealous"  
Mal glared at Carlos: "Shut up, asshole"  
Amir and Jay: "Woah"  
Ben: "Mal!"  
Mal: "He deserved it and he knows it"  
Carlos shrugged: "I was called worst"  
Ben: "Mal, you should apologize"  
Mal: "Tsk"  
Jane: "If I ask it, will you apologize?"  
Mal chuckled: "Honey, I have a soft spot for you. You aren't my kryptonite"  
Carlos looked at Mal: "Honey?" he turned to Ben "Ben, how does Mal call you?"  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Ben: "Carlos, I know her past"  
Carlos was shocked, he looked at Mal and when she nodded, he got up  
Carlos: "He knows?"  
Mal: "Yeah"  
Carlos turned to Jane: "Do you know?"  
Jane nodded  
Mal: "Enough questions. Fairy Jane, let's go"  
The two girls left  
Carlos looked at Jay: "What the actual f..?"  
Ben: "Carlos! Stop it!"  
Mal and Jane entered the room  
Audrey got up: "Mal, I'm.."  
Mal rolled her eyes: "Sorry, yeah. I know"  
Evie: "Carlos is an idiot"  
Mal: "Tell me about it"  
Lonnie: "Why was he so shocked?"  
Evie had heard telepathically what was happening in the vks room and said it to the girls  
Mal: "On the Isle, in the part where we lived, being gay is a crime. The punishment is death"  
Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane gasped  
Mal: "Growing up with fear and hate... it's difficult to leave it behind... He's probably worried about what people would say if they knew" she smiled "I know he seems harmless but he was raised by Maleficent and Cruella. He grew up as I did. If he wanted, he could be as scary as I am"  
Audrey snorted: "You aren't scary"  
Mal smiled: "Sure, Princess... Just so you know. I heard what you said to your friends the first day we were here"  
Audrey winced: "Let's change the topic" she looked at Evie "Evie, do you like Doug?"  
Evie smiled: "Yeah, he is awesome. I'm waiting for him to do the move because I don't think he's ready..."  
Mal: "Can we do something that has nothing to do with boys, please?"  
Lonnie smiled: "Let's watch a movie"  
They watched a movie and then went to sleep  
The boys played video games and then went to bed

* * *

They were sleeping peacefully when a noise woke them up  
Carlos was moving on the floor, still asleep, like Mal was in Audrey's room  
A nightmare  
Jay: "Damn it! We completely forgot"  
Doug: "You think it's because he isn't with Mal?"  
Jay nodded: "I'm sure Mal is in the same condition right now" he stopped, his eyes glowing "She is"  
Ben: "What do we do?"  
Jay: "I'll go pick Mal and bring her here" he looked around "We'll sleep all together in here"  
Amir: "We can't. FG will get angry"  
Jay: "She won't. And if she does I'll take responsibility, don't worry. You won't get in trouble" he got up "I'll be as quick as possible"  
He got out of the room  
Ben turned to look at Carlos

* * *

Evie was looking at Mal: "How could we forget?"  
Jane: "It's not your fault, you relaxed so much and you forgot this problem"  
Evie shook her head, her eyes glowed, she communicated with Jay: _Mal is having a nightmare_  
Jay: _Carlos too. I'll come and get Mal_  
Evie: _Ok_  
Evie: "Jay is coming to pick Mal. I'll go with him. What do you want to do?"  
Jane: "We could do a big sleepover in your room"  
Lonnie: "Sure, why not?"  
Audrey: "Won't FG get angry?"  
Evie and Jane looked at her  
Evie shrugged: "Maybe. Don't worry, Jay and I will take the responsibility"  
Audrey: "Ok"  
Jay knocked  
Evie: "Come in Jay"  
Jay entered: "Hello ladies" he crouched down next to Mal, he looked at Evie "You'll go first with Audrey. Then I'll go with Mal. And last Jane with Lonnie"  
Jane, Audrey, and Lonnie nodded  
Evie got up with Audrey, they checked to see if there was someone and then went to the vks room  
Jay picked Mal in his arms: "See you on the other side" he exited and started walking fast  
Then it was Jane and Lonnie's turn, the exited, closed the door with the key, and went into the vks room  
Unbeknownst to them, someone had noticed the movements  
A shadow was hiding behind a plant  
He filmed Evie and Audrey, Jay and Mal, Jane and Lonnie while they entered the room of the vks  
Chad: "You are in so much trouble"

* * *

Jane: "I sent a text to my mom to tell her what happened"  
Mal and Carlos were sleeping, now peacefully, on the floor  
Ben: "Perfect"  
A knock on the door made them froze  
Amir whispering: "Who could it be?"  
Jay: "Don't know" he got near the door and tried to listen  
Another knock  
Jay looked at Evie and the others and shrugged, he opened the door just a little  
Chad: "Hello there Jay"  
Jay: "What do you want princess?"  
Chad scowled: "Stop calling me that" then he smiled again "I heard that there is a sleepover going on here, with Carlos, Amir, Ben, and Doug"  
Jay: "So what? You want to curse someone because you didn't get the invitation?"  
Chad: "Nono. I was just wondering where are the girls"  
Jay smiled: "They are here with us"  
Chad was taken aback, he didn't expect Jay to say the truth  
Jay: "Was that all?"  
Chad scowled again: "You can't sleep all together"  
Jane came near Jay: "Yes, we can. My mom gave us permission"  
Chad: "You are lying"  
Jane rolled her eyes  
Jay: "If you don't mind Chad, and I don't care if you do, we are going to sleep" he closed the door and locked it, he turned to look at the others  
Evie: "Well. Let's sleep then"  
Audrey went to sleep on Evie's bed, Jane was on Carlos's bed, Ben was on Mal's bed, Doug was on Jay's bed while Lonnie, Amir, Evie, and Jay were sleeping on the floor in the sleeping bags

* * *

Morning came, the vks woke up first  
Carlos and Mal: "What happened?"  
Evie explained what had happened during the night  
Carlos shook his head: "We have to do something about Chad"  
Mal: "Like what?"  
Carlos: "I don't know... kill him?"  
Mal chuckled  
The others woke up too  
Amir: "Food"  
Carlos and Mal smiled and nodded at him  
The guys got dressed while the girls used the bathroom and then the girls dressed while the boys used the bathroom  
They went to breakfast together  
FG had read and answered the text Jane had sent her, she wasn't angry  
They were eating when Chad entered the cafeteria and sent them a glare  
Audrey sighed: "Why won't he stop behaving like this?"  
Ben was about to say something when Carlos decided to make his opinion clear  
Carlos: "Cause he's a dumbass"  
Ben: "Stop it with these words"  
Lonnie: "Is he wrong, though?"  
Carlos smiled at Lonnie  
Then the aks received a notification at the same time  
Mal: "What was that?"  
The aks were looking at their smartphones horrified  
Amir: "He truly is a dumbass"  
Evie: "What? What happened?"  
The aks looked at the confused vks  
Lonnie: "Chad. He filmed us while we entered your room last night and posted it on Instadon"  
Jay: "And that's a problem because...?"  
Jane: "Because everyone can see it"  
Carlos: "I don't get what the problem is"  
Then all of a sudden FG's voice could be heard in the cafeteria: "Chad, Audrey, Ben, Jane, Lonnie, Amir, Doug, Mal, Carlos, Evie, Jay. In my office, now" 

Mal: "Woah"  
They got up and went to the headmistress's office  
FG seemed tired already: "Hello kids"  
Jane: "Mom, what's wrong?"  
FG: "I've called you here because this needs to stop" she looked at Chad that was smiling "You need to stop bullying the vks, Chad. I'm very disappointed in you and so are your parents" Now she looked at everyone "I called your parents too, to talk about the video Chad posted"  
Chad: "How come I'm the evil guy when they are the ones that didn't respect the rules?"  
FG: "Because they asked my permission. And because they didn't do anything wrong whilst you were around during curfew without my permission and intruded their privacy" she looked at the others "You can go now, I'll handle the situation, don't worry"  
Ben: "Thank you, FG"  
They exited the office and returned to the cafeteria where James was waiting for them at their table  
James: "Is everything all right?"  
Audrey: "Yes, Chad is in trouble though"  
James shook his head: "I don't understand him"  
Amir: "Nobody does"  
Mal: "Maybe he is jealous"  
Everyone but Carlos looked at her  
Ben: "Jealous?"  
Mal shrugged  
Audrey: "Of what?"  
Mal: "Us? Our friendship? The fact that when we arrived he remains alone practically? You name it"  
Doug: "Huh... you could be right"  
Mal: "They are only theories. I mean he could just be a jerk"  
Jane: "Maybe we should speak to him"  
Ben: "When he comes back, we'll speak to him" he looked at Mal and smiled  
Mal: "What?"  
Ben: "Nothing"  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Carlos: "Well this was fun, now what do we do?"  
Audrey: "I wanted to go to the mall, you guys want to come with me?"  
The aks boys groaned while Jane and Lonnie nodded enthusiastically  
Evie: "What's a mall?"  
Audrey: "Well it's... Uhm... it's a place where there a lot of shops, restaurants, also an arcade... and stuff like that"  
Mal: "Arcades?" she looked at Doug  
Doug: "It's a place where you can play video games"  
Mal, Carlos and Jay: "Ooh"  
Evie: "And in this place can you buy clothes?"  
Audrey: "That's the only reason why I go there. Shopping is the best activity ever" she was smiling  
Evie smiled: "Well, in that case, I'm in"  
Mal and Carlos: "Wait wait"  
Carlos: "You want to go to this mall thing"  
Mal: "And spend hours trying on and buying clothes?"  
Evie, Jane, Audrey, and Lonnie nodded  
Jay: "It doesn't seem really interesting"  
Mal: "I'm not going"  
Evie: "Oh come on Mal! It'll be fun"  
Mal: "I don't need to buy new clothes, you make everything I wear. Also, we don't have any money"  
Ben: "My family pays for your expenses"  
Mal: "Whatever"  
Amir: "Why don't we all go to the mall and divide into two groups: those who want to go shopping and those who don't"  
Doug: "Great idea, we can go to the arcade"  
Jay: "Mal, Carlos, what do you think?"  
The twins looked at each other and then nodded at Jay  
Ben smiled: "Great. So who is coming?"  
Everyone raised their hands beside James  
James smiled: "Sorry but I have a date"  
Amir: "Really?" and Jay: "With who?"  
James: "It's a secret but I have to thank Mal" he winked at her  
Ben looked at Mal and then at James again with a raised eyebrow  
Mal smiled: "Told you it would work"  
James: "Carlos, Jay, Doug, Ben, you need to take advice from her in the women's field"  
Carlos: "Oh we already know"  
Jay nodded  
Amir looked interested: "How come you are a women expert?"  
Mal crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair: "A magician never reveals its tricks"  
Amir: "Are you a men expert too?"  
Mal: "No, that's Evie"  
Evie rolled her eyes, then she saw Chad: "Chad is here"  
The aks got up while the vks stayed at the table, Evie and Jay were trying to make Mal say with who James had a date  
Ben: "Chad"  
Chad looked at him: "What, Ben? My parents and FG already told me what a disappointment I am"  
Doug shook his head  
Amir: "We need to talk"  
Chad: "About what?"  
James: "Why do you hate the vks so much?"  
Chad looked taken aback: "Well.. they are evil"  
Audrey crossed her arms: "No, they aren't. Look at them"  
They all turned to look at the vks  
Mal and Carlos were fighting with food, Evie and Jay were watching them with a smile  
Jane and Ben laughed  
Lonnie turned to look at Chad: "See? They aren't bad or evil. They were raised in a different world, but they aren't so different from us"  
Chad was looking at Mal and Carlos: "They are playing with food"  
Jane nodded: "Mal and Carlos can be very childish" she sighed sadly "They didn't have an easy childhood"  
Ben: "Why do you hate them?"  
Chad: "I don't hate them... But when they arrived you guys stopped hanging out with me..."  
Lonnie: "We stopped hanging out with you because you acted so dumb. You could have come and hung out with us"  
Chad sighed, then he went at the vks table, the aks followed him  
Jay and Evie saw him and their smile dropped  
Carlos and Mal looked at them and then turned, Carlos had a banana on his head while Mal had an apple on hers  
Chad: "Hello again"  
Jay: "Hello Chad"  
Chad scratched his head: "I want to apologize. I'm sorry, for the way I treated you. I was jealous.."  
The vks looked at him  
Mal: "It's ok but you have to pay penance"  
Carlos was nodding solemnly  
The aks had sat at the table  
Ben was confused: "What penance?"  
Carlos: "It's a way to see if he trust us"  
Mal: "But you can refuse"  
Chad looked at the vks, then nodded: "I'll do it"  
Carlos smiled: "Perfect. Close your eyes"  
Chad closed them  
Mal took a spoonful of dessert and got up and Carlos took his glass of orange juice  
Mal: "Open your mouth"  
Chad did as was told, Mal gave him the dessert and he ate it: "That was good. What was it?"  
Carlos: "We'll tell you after. Now take this glass and drink"  
Chad did it: "Orange juice"  
Mal and Carlos: "Open your eyes and sit with us"  
Chad: "That's it?"  
Mal smiled: "No, we forgave you when you apologized"  
Carlos smiled: "We just wanted to mess with you"  
Everyone laughed  
Chad shook his head but he was smiling  
Jay: "We are going to the mall today. Do you want to come with us?"  
Chad: "The mall?" he looked at the boys  
Amir: "We are going to the arcade"  
Chad: "Sure, I would love to"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys  
> How are you?  
> I'm here to explain a little about this story  
> The bad guy, that was Maleficent, was defeated  
> Now what?  
> In every fanfiction I read, the writer stops when the villain is defeated  
> I always wanted to see my favorite character happy, but the story ends a few chapters after the battle to defeat the bad guy  
> This is why I wrote about our characters being happy and the daily life  
> I hope you'll like it  
> Byeee


	38. The Mall

Ben and Chad went into the headmistress's office to ask for permission  
FG: "Chad you are grounded. You can't go to the mall"  
Ben: "FG, Chad apologized to Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay"  
FG: "And I'm happy about it, but this doesn't change the fact that he is grounded. I'm sorry"  
Chad: "I understand perfectly"  
The two boys got out of the office  
Ben: "Chad, I'm sorry..."  
Chad: "No, it's ok really. FG is right" he smiled sincerely "I'm happy I apologized to the vks"  
Ben smiled too: "I'm happy to have my friend back"  
Mal arrived from the cafeteria: "Ben?"  
Ben turned to look at her, she had changed (probably because of Evie), she was wearing purple dungarees over a green crop top, she was so beautiful he got distracted  
Mal tilted her head: "Ben?" she seemed confused  
Chad elbowed Ben: "Pal, you are staring"  
Ben blushed: "Hey Mal"  
Chad rolled his eyes  
Mal: "Did you get the permission? The others are waiting"  
Ben: "We can go but Chad can't"  
Mal: "Why not?"  
Chad: "I'm grounded"  
Mal looked horrified: "You get grounded here too?"  
Carlos came running: "So what's up?" he looked at Mal and his smile dropped "Mal, what's wrong?"  
Mal looked around and whispered: "Chad got grounded"  
Carlos paled and looked at Ben and Chad  
Ben: "Guys, it's ok. He just has to stay here and be at Remedial Goodness 101 with you"  
Mal: "So he isn't getting beaten?"  
Carlos: "Or starved?"  
Chad: "No, of course not"  
Carlos looked relieved as Mal was  
Chad: "Why?" then he seemed to realize "Oh my God.. you got beaten?" he looked at Mal and Carlos body as if to check for injuries and noticed their scars  
Ben touched his friend shoulder: "We'll talk later"  
Chad nodded and left  
Ben: "Let's go to the mall"  
They went outside  
Evie: "What are we waiting for?"  
Audrey: "The mall is downtown, we need a bus to go there"  
Jay: "What's a bus?"  
Doug: "You'll see it"  
They waited for another five minutes and then the bus arrived  
The vks were amazed  
They got in and kept looking around  
Soon enough they started watching the scenery changing outside the windows  
They arrived at the mall  
The vks looked around  
Mal: "Woah, this place is huge"  
Carlos: "Yeah... and I thought Evil Palace was gigantic"  
Audrey: "Evil Palace?"  
The vks: "The school for all evil and bad"  
The aks turned to them when the vks noticed it  
The vks: "What?"  
Jane: "It was weird to hear you say it"  
Evie: "Why?"  
Amir shrugged: "It was creepy"  
Jay, Mal, and Carlos rolled their eyes  
Ben: "Alright, let's go"  
They entered the building, the vks looked around  
Carlos: "Sooo... now what?"  
Doug: "Let's split up and then meet again.. let's say 17-30?"  
The others agreed and the two groups went separate ways

* * *

Audrey: "Let's go to that shop"  
The girls went inside  
Evie: "There are so many clothes.." she was watching a dress she had picked  
Jane smiled: "Let's pick some clothes and try them"  
They went into the dressing rooms

* * *

Mal, Carlos, and Jay were in awe  
Jay: "This is"  
Carlos: "The coolest"  
Mal: "Thing ever"  
Amir chuckled: "You guys are too creepy"  
Mal and Carlos looked around: "What's that?"  
Amir glared at them: "Now you are doing it on purpose"  
The two teens looked at him confused  
Jay chuckled: "They don't. They are used to talk like this since they are children, you'll get used to it"  
Ben: "That's..." but he couldn't end the sentence because a group of girls showed up  
A blonde girl: "That's him, the Prince"  
Another girl: "Oh, he is handsome"  
The blonde with a disgusted face: "Those are the villains... look at that girl, with that hair... I heard she spelled him or something..."  
The red-haired girl looked at Mal disgusted too  
Ben sighed  
Doug and Amir chuckled  
Carlos: "What the...?"  
Doug: "The girls drool after him everywhere we go"  
Amir: "It drove Audrey crazy all the time"  
The boys looked at Mal, that was watching the girls, she felt them watching and turned  
Mal: "What?"  
Ben: "Nothing" he turned to the game Mal and Carlos were interested in "That's a hunting game"  
Mal smiled: "Cool"  
The twins looked at each other with big smiles and yelled: "Race you!"  
They went to the gaming machine  
Ben sighed  
Jay patted on his shoulder: "Let's play, then"  
They started playing  
Jay was with Ben in front of the hunting game, they were watching Mal and Carlos playing it, Doug and Amir were playing some other game when the girls came back and approached Ben  
The blonde: "Hi, Prince Benjamin! I'm Hayley and this" she pointed at her red-haired friend "is my best friend Janice..." she looked at him and smiled "We were wondering if you would like to hang out with us"  
Janice: "Yeah, we promise we are fun" she looked at the others "Way more fun than them anyway"  
The two girls glared at Mal, who only then turned  
Ben was about to talk but she stopped him  
Mal got closer and crossed her arms: "I'm sorry, were you talking about me?" her eyes glowed a little  
Carlos approached her and put his hand on her shoulder and whispered: "Vio"  
Hayley: "Yes, I was talking about you" she looked at her head to toe  
Ben: "Girls, why don't we just relax a little?"  
Mal: "No thanks, Benny Boo"  
Hayley laughed: "Benny Boo? He is the Crown Prince" she got closer to Mal "Show some respect"  
Mal took a step forward: "You should back off" her tone suggested she wasn't playing around  
Carlos: "Listen, lady, back off, or my sister.."  
Janice: "Your sister what? Will she scream and go call mommy?"  
Jay: "Now you did it"  
Carlos raised his hands in surrender: "I'm out"  
Ben sighed: "Mal please"  
Mal glared at him  
Ben: "Fine"  
Janice and Hayley were smiling evilly at Mal  
Mal: "You don't know who I am, do you?"  
Janice: "A villain"  
Mal laughed, Ben, Carlos, and Jay recognized that laugh.. it was the same one of Maleficent  
Mal: "I'm Mal, Maleficent and Hades's daughter"  
The girls stopped smiling  
Mal: "Now... who is the boring one?"  
The girls took a step back  
Jay: "Told you to back off"  
Hayley: "I.. I.. I'm"  
Mal took another step forward: "I..I.. I." she mocked her "What's wrong? Are you going to scream and go call mommy?"  
Janice: "I think we should leave..."  
Mal: "Why? Didn't you want to have fun with the Crown Prince? I'm sure you two are very funny, aren't you?"  
Hayley: "Yeah, I forgot that we have the stuff to do.. we should go"  
Mal: "I'm sure Ben here would love to spend some time with you, am I right Ben?"  
The girls looked at Ben  
Ben: "Mal, that's enough. They got the message"  
Mal: "I don't think they did" her eyes glowed and she was about to take another step towards the girls when something held her, she turned at her right  
Ben had grabbed her arm: "I said, enough"  
Mal looked lost for a second  
The girls took advantage of the distraction and left  
Ben: "What the hell was that, Mal?"  
Mal was looking down, Carlos got closer to her and put an arm around her shoulders, and dragged her away from him, Carlos glared at Ben  
Ben turned to Jay who shrugged  
Doug and Amir had seen what happened approached Ben and Jay  
Amir: "What happened?"  
Ben: "The girls provoked Mal"  
Jay seemed thoughtful  
Ben: "Jay?"  
Doug: "Where are Carlos and Mal now?"  
Ben: "Don't know"  
Carlos and Mal sat down at a fountain  
Carlos: "Vio, are you ok?"  
Mal had her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands  
Carlos rubbed her back for a while to comfort her  
Mal: "I was about to attack them. And for what? Talking to Ben? I wanted to hurt them... Remember the thing about torture that Mother taught us? I was about to use them..."  
Carlos: "Mal" she was spiraling  
Mal: "I mean, they didn't do anything wrong"  
Carlos: "Mal"  
Mal: "If Ben hadn't stopped me.."  
Carlos: "Mal!"  
Mal stopped talking  
Carlos: "We just went back to the Isle, probably your behavior got influenced by that"  
Mal whispered: "Probably"  
Carlos: "You were just protecting what's yours, your territory"  
Mal glared at him  
Carlos: "You know you cared deeply for him, you can't hide it. Not from me"  
Mal sighed: "I know"  
Carlos: "You have to talk to him" he smiled "He cares for you. Deeply"  
Mal smiled a little: "I know"  
They heard someone coming closer

* * *

Audrey: "Girls, we are fabulous"  
Lonnie: "We are"  
Jane: "Let's go see the accessories"  
Evie smiled: "And the purses"  
They were watching some jewelry when Jane checked the watch  
Jane: "Girls, we have to go"  
Audrey: "Already?"  
Evie pouted  
Lonnie: "We can come back another time, let's go pay for the clothes"  
They went to pay for the clothes and exited the shop, they went near the entrance but the others weren't there  
Jane: "Maybe they are still at the arcade"  
Lonnie: "Maybe they lost track of time"  
Audrey: "Let's find them"  
They went upstairs to the arcade but Evie stopped suddenly  
Jane turned to look at her  
Evie: "Mal and Carlos" she pointed at the fountain  
Jane tilted her head: "What's wrong with Mal?"  
Evie: "Don't know. I'll go there, you go to the arcade"  
Jane nodded  
Evie got near them: "Mal? Carlos?"

* * *

The twins turned at the same time, Mal looked distressed  
Evie got worried immediately  
Carlos smiled: "Hey Evie"  
Evie sat near Mal: "What's wrong?"  
Mal shook her head: "I overreacted"  
Carlos got up: "I'll let you talk" he left  
Mal turned to look at Evie: "Two girls flirted with Ben and I lost it... I went full Isle on them...Ben got angry with me"  
Evie: "Oh Mal.. you were jealous?"  
Mal shrugged  
Evie: "It's okay, Mal. But I think you two should talk"  
Mal: "Carlos said the same thing"  
Ben: "Then maybe we should talk"  
Mal and Evie turned quickly towards the sound, Ben was standing there  
Evie got up and left to find the others  
Ben sat near Mal and smiled: "What happened?"  
Mal: "I'm sorry if I overreacted.."  
Ben shook his head: "It's nothing" his smile turned into a smirk, he looked down "It was flattering seeing you jealous"  
Mal huffed  
Ben: "Listen Mal. I like you, like a lot"  
Mal smiled: "I like you too"  
Ben smiled at her and looked her in the eyes: "You are going to react like that when a girl flirts with me?"  
Mal sighed: "Will it happen often?"  
Ben: "Unfortunately"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "I'll try to behave"  
Ben chuckled  
Mal: "So what now?"  
Ben: "Now... Mal, are you free tomorrow?"  
Mal confused: "Yes"  
Ben: "Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?"  
Mal smiled happily: "Yes, I would like that"  
Ben smiled too: "Great"  
Mal: "Where are we going?"  
Ben: "Surprise" he looked at her hand "Can I take your hand?"  
Mal: "Yeah"  
Ben took her hand and his thumb caressed the back of his hand: "Are you ok, now?"  
Mal nodded  
Ben: "Let's go back to our friends"  
They got up, but they were so focused on themselves that they didn't notice the two girls approaching  
Janice and Hayley, one Slurpee each, and once they got close enough they threw it at Mal  
Mal and Ben gasped, Mal's clothes were soaking wet  
Janice: "Not so brave now, huh?"  
The two girls got away laughing  
Ben: "Mal!"  
Mal growled, turned back, and extended a hand towards the girls, who were stopped by some kind of force, the same force that dragged them back to Mal  
Ben: "Mal, stop"  
Mal: "Not this time"  
The others arrived at that moment  
Carlos: "Mal, what are you doing?"  
Ben: "The girls threw a Slurpee at her"  
Carlos, Evie, and Jay sighed  
Mal: "Girls, you really shouldn't have done that" she extended the other hand towards the fountain, the water moved like a snake, it drew a circle around the two girls, it went up and was just above them then it fell on them  
Mal released the girls from her grip, she turned around towards Ben: "Was it too much?"  
Ben: "Unexpectedly, no" he took her hand "Let's go"  
Audrey: "Let's go, we'll show you the rest of the mall"

* * *

They were at the animal shop  
Carlos was looking at some fishes  
Jane got closer to him: "Hypnotic, right?"  
Carlos smiled and turned to her: "Yeah"  
Jane: "Do you want to see the chinchillas?"  
Carlos: "What?"  
Jane: "Come with me"  
They went near some cages  
Carlos: "Oh my god, they are so cute"  
Jane: "I know" she was smiling at the animals  
Carlos turned to look at her, then he looked at Mal that was near the cage of the kittens, she looked at him and nodded  
Carlos sighed, he took courage: "Jane?"  
Jane looked at him: "Yes?"  
Carlos: "Would you like to go on a date with me?"  
Jane blushed  
Carlos waited for a minute that seemed like an hour to him, then: "Jane?"  
Jane: "I'm sorry, give me one more second"  
Carlos waited  
Jane smiled: "Yes, I would like to go on a date with you"  
Carlos smiled: "Fantastic"  
Jane chuckled at his enthusiasm  
Mal was smiling too, having heard everything  
Jane: "It's almost dinner time"  
Mal and Carlos perked at that, they were hungry  
Lonnie: "We could eat here"  
Doug: "Yeah, why not?"  
Ben: "Fine by me" he was holding hands with Mal  
The others agreed  
They went to the third floor where the restaurants were, they decided to go to a sandwich place  
They eat dinner peacefully and then went back to Auradon Prep  
Mal and Carlos were sleeping  
Jane and Ben were watching them with a sweet smile on their faces  
Jay picked Carlos up while Ben picked Mal, they put them in bed  
Then everyone went to sleep


	39. A Fine Sunday

The vks room  
Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay were sleeping when the alarm clock rang, they all grunted and turned to the other side  
A few hours later two knocks woke up Carlos, he tried to go back to sleep but the person beyond the door was insistent so he got out of bed  
Carlos: "Who the hell is it?" he opened the door and found Ben standing there  
Ben: "Hey Carlos, how are you?"  
Carlos: "Hi Ben, I was perfectly fine until someone woke me up"  
Ben scratched the back of his head: "Sorry... I thought you were awake. Could you wake Mal up?"  
Carlos: "If she bites me I'm holding you responsible"  
Ben chuckled and waited outside the room  
Carlos sat on Mal's bed: "Mal, Ben is here"  
Mal grunted  
Carlos: "Come on, Mal. Wake up"  
Mal opened her eyes and rubbed her eyes: "Who the hell dares to wake me so soon?"  
Carlos smiled: "Ben is here"  
Mal got up on her elbows: "Ben?"  
Carlos nodded  
Mal got out of bed and went to the door, she was in her pajamas  
Ben smiled at her: "Hey Mal" he grabbed her hand  
Mal smiled and yawned: "Hi Ben" she leaned on the door frame "What are you doing here so early?"  
Ben laughed: "It's past lunchtime"  
Mal: "Exactly. Early"  
Ben smiled and rolled his eyes: "I'm here to invite you officially to our first date. Today. At 5 p.m."  
Mal smiled, now completely awake: "Ok, I'll see you at 5 p.m., where?"  
Ben: "At the garden"  
Mal: "And where are we going?"  
Ben: "It's a surprise"  
Mal: "Fine"  
Ben: "Then I'll see you later" he kissed the back of her hand "Bye Mal"  
Mal blushed: "Bye"  
Ben left, she went back into the room and closed the door behind her, she looked at the clock, it was 2 p.m., she had to take a shower and decided what to wear, she looked at Evie and sighed and went next to her friend bed  
Mal: "Evie"  
Evie turned to look at her: "Mal? What time is it?"  
Mal: "It's 2 p.m."  
Evie: "Did something happened?"  
Mal shook her head: "Ben asked me out. Today, at 5 p.m."  
Evie got on her elbows: "We have 3 hours?"  
Mal nodded  
Evie: "Ok, let's go in the bathroom"  
They went in the bathroom, Evie gave Mal some particular shampoo and body soap, then she went to find the perfect outfit while Mal took a shower  
When Mal exited the bathroom, Evie made her sat at the make-up desk  
Evie: "Ok, I won't exaggerate. I promise"  
Mal nodded  
Evie started by putting a moisturizer on her, then she proceeded with the eyeshadow, the mascara, and then lipstick. It was a light make up  
Mal: "You finished?"  
Evie: "Yeah, now let's try the outfits"  
Carlos and Jay in the meantime had gone out  
Mal tried some outfits, Evie made her do a catwalk, she decided on one after almost an hour  
The outfit was a pair of black short, a purple crop top, and a black fishnet top, Mal decided to wear her green converse  
Evie smiled in victory: "Perfect"  
Mal looked at herself in the mirror and smiled at her friend: "Good job, Blue"  
Evie: "What about your hair?"  
Mal looked at her hair, it was now dry and soft, it was wavy and it arrived at her shoulders: "I want to keep it down"  
Evie nodded, she looked at the clock: "It's 16-30 p.m. We are right in time"  
Mal: "Now what?"  
Evie sat on her bed: "Come sit with me"  
Mal sat next to her  
Evie: "How do you feel? Are you nervous?"  
Mal shrugged: "I feel... happy"  
Evie smiled: "Where is he taking you?"  
Mal: "No idea. It's a surprise"  
Evie: "That's so romantic. The converse was a good decision"  
Mal: "Told you"  
Evie rolled her eyes, which made Mal laugh and she joined her soon enough  
When the clock read 16-55 p.m., the girls went to the garden  
Evie: "I'll go find the boys. Enjoy your date"  
Mal waved: "Bye" she arrived at the statue of the King, Ben was there but he didn't notice her yet, she decided to prank him, she came behind him  
Mal: "Hi Ben!"  
Ben jumped and put a hand on his heart: "Mal! Why?"  
Mal was laughing hard: "Oh my Hell! Your face!"  
Ben glared at her: "Not funny"  
Mal stopped laughing, she put a hand on his arm and smiled at him: "Oh come on! Don't be angry at me"  
Ben sighed: "Let's go" he turned and started walking  
Mal followed him: "So, where are we going?"  
Ben laughed: "Surprise"  
Mal huffed  
They arrived at the parking, there were cars, minivans, and motorbikes  
Ben: "Wait here" he took one of the bikes and brought in the pathway, where Mal was waiting, they mounted on the bike, Mal wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes happily, Ben smiled  
It took them about half an hour to arrive  
Ben: "We arrived"  
They got off the bike  
Mal looked around, there was a forest, it was beautiful, she could feel some magic: "Wow"  
Ben: "You like it?"  
Mal: "I love it" she looked at him smiling "Where are we?"  
Ben: "The Magic Forest" he parked the bike near a tree, then he offered his hand to Mal and she took it  
They walked for a while, then Ben stopped and made her close her eyes, he guided her through the forest and then stopped again  
Ben: "Are you ready?"  
Mal: "Yeah"  
Ben: "Open"  
Mal opened her eyes, her hands went to cover her mouth in awe, she looked at Ben who nodded, she approached the elegant gazebo with two Ionic columns that were facing a beautiful crystal clear lake, she did a spin  
Ben was watching her, she was beautiful, he hadn't had the occasion to look properly at her before but now that she was distracted... she looked so peaceful... like an angel  
Mal: "This is a paradise" she looked at the lake "Is it magical?"  
Ben nodded, she smiled at him  
Mal: "Thank you" she had recognized the place of some of their dreams  
Ben laughed: "For what?"  
Mal: "For bringing me here"  
Ben approached her: "Thank you for accepting to go on a date with me"  
Mal took his hands and got on her toes to kiss him on the cheek when she withdrew she looked him in the eyes  
Ben was in heaven, he caressed her face gently and smiled: "Let's sit down"  
They sat down  
Mal: "What's all this?"  
Ben: "I thought we could have a snack and stay here. I have brought some fruits and some sandwiches and of course something to drink and.."  
Mal interrupted him: "It's perfect Ben"  
Ben smiled at her  
They started talking about nothing and everything while eating, Mal particularly appreciated the strawberries  
Mal: "It's so sweet"  
Ben was laughing  
Mal: "It's like the heaven of food"  
Ben laughed even harder and fell on his back  
Mal smiled: "Stop laughing at me"  
Ben: "I'm sorry but you are so adorable"  
Mal: "You are adorable too"  
Ben smiled at her, then he got up: "Would you dance with me?"  
Mal: "There's no music"  
Ben raised an eyebrow and she smiled, a sweet melody was heard, she got up too  
They started dancing slowly, Mal put her head on Ben's shoulder, they were happy just swaying like that  
The sun was going down and the light set a very romantic atmosphere  
Mal: "Ben?"  
Ben: "Yes?"  
Mal stopped moving and looked him in the eyes: "I really really like you"  
Ben smiled: "I really really like you too"  
Mal glanced at his lips, Ben looked at her lips too  
Then without even noticing they kissed  
It lasted a few seconds but it felt like forever  
Mal and Ben felt happier than ever, around them the air felt even more magical, the sunlight reflected by the water made some warm light effects  
It was a True Love Kiss  
When Ben and Mal withdrew, there were smiles on their faces  
Ben: "Wow"  
Mal nuzzled her nose against his  
They stayed like this for a while  
Ben noticed that it was beginning to get dark: "It's getting late. We should go"  
Mal nodded and they went back to the bike, they got on and went back to Auradon Prep  
They were walking holding hands, it was dinner time so they went in the cafeteria and found their friends there  
The girls, once they saw that Mal and Ben were holding hands, giggled  
Mal sat down with their friends, while Ben went to get something to eat for both of them  
They talked for a while, then they went into the vks room where they watched the movie, once the movie was over they went to bed  
Ben was the last one to leave, he gave Mal another kiss and then said goodnight


	40. A Troubled Tourney Practice

Evie: "Wake up, sleepyheads"  
Mal groaned and put her arms on her face to cover her eyes, Carlos simply turned over  
Jay: "Come on, we have to go to class"  
Mal: "Do we?"  
Evie: "Yes, we do"  
Mal: "Finee" she got out of bed and shook Carlos's shoulder "Come on Puppy"  
Carlos grunted but got out of bed too  
They got dressed and then went to class, when they arrived they noticed that nobody was there  
Evie: "This is weird"  
Mal: "Maybe we don't have classes!" she was smiling  
Carlos: "Yeah, maybe today is a holidate"  
Jay: "It's called holiday"  
Carlos looked at him for a second: "Whatever"  
Evie: "No, Ben would have told us"  
Unbeknownst to them, the aks were looking for them

* * *

Ben, Doug, Audrey, and Jane were at their usual table  
Audrey was looking at her watch: "I don't understand"  
Jane: "Maybe something happened" she was worried  
Doug: "I'm sure everything it's fine"  
Chad and Lonnie arrived at the table smiling, then they noticed the tension  
Chad: "What's wrong?"  
Ben: "The vks... They are late"  
Lonnie: "Maybe Evie and Jay are still trying to wake up Mal and Carlos"  
Ben and Jane smiled  
Audrey was still nervous, she had bonded with Mal, technically Mal was her aunt but Audrey couldn't help but feel responsible for the younger girl: "Maybe I should go check on them" she got up without waiting for an answer and left  
The others watched her leave the cafeteria  
Lonnie: "She has changed"  
Jane nodded: "She got really close with Mal"  
Doug: "Well, let's wait"  
Audrey went to the vks dorm and knocked  
She didn't get any answer  
She knocked again but nothing  
Audrey whispered: "Where are you?"  
She turned around and almost ran to the cafeteria

* * *

The vks in the meantime were sitting on the floor, except for Evie that was pacing back and forth  
Evie: "I don't understand"  
The other three sighed

* * *

Audrey: "They aren't in their dorm"  
Jane got up: "We have to find them"  
Audrey nodded  
Ben: "Okay, wait"  
The others looked at him  
Audrey: "Wait for what? It could be serious... maybe it's Maleficent!"  
Ben: "Audrey, calm down. Maleficent is on the Isle and can't harm them. What I wanted to say is: we better split up"  
Lonnie: "Ok, I'll go to the Tourney field"  
Chad: "I'll go to the gym"  
Doug: "I'll check the art studio and the robotic room"  
Jane: "I'll talk to my mom to see if she knows something"  
Audrey: "I'll go to the Library"  
Ben: "I'm going to check the other classrooms"  
Lonnie: "What do we do if one of us finds them?"  
Doug: "Let's meet here in.. let's say 30 minutes? If we find them we bring them here"  
The others nodded and they went to find their friends

* * *

Lonnie ran to the Tourney field, they weren't there  
Chad checked the gym and the locker rooms, nobody there

* * *

Doug: "Mal! Carlos!" he entered the art studio  
Doug: "Evie! Jay!" he entered the robotic room  
Nothing  
Audrey entered the library and yelled: "Mal!"  
The librarian: "Shhh"  
Audrey talked in a lower tone: "Have you seen Mal, Carlos, Evie, or Jay?"  
The librarian: "No, I haven't"

* * *

Jane opened the door to her mother's office without knocking  
FG: "Jane!"  
Jane: "Mom, we can't find the vks"  
FG: "Have you tried their room?"  
Jane: "Yes! They aren't there. The others are searching for them on the school grounds"  
FG nodded: "Where do you have to meet?"  
Jane: "The cafeteria"  
FG: "Let's go there"

* * *

Ben was searching the classrooms when he heard someone talking, he followed the sound and there she was  
Ben: "Evie!"  
The vks turned to him  
Evie: "Oh, Ben! What took you so long?"  
Mal: "And where are the others?"  
Carlos: "We've waited for hours"  
Jay: "It's been 20 minutes, Carlos"  
Carlos rolled his eyes  
Ben: "We were at the cafeteria, waiting for you"  
The vks were silent  
Mal: "We forgot"  
Ben: "What?"  
Evie: "Breakfast"  
Ben was confused  
Jay: "We forgot that we had to go to the cafeteria for breakfast..."  
Ben: "Oh... well, let's go now, ok?"  
The vks nodded, still they looked a little sad  
When they entered the cafeteria they saw the others talking to each other, Audrey saw them first  
Audrey: "Mal!" she ran towards the girl and hugged her  
Mal stood still, it took her a second to realize what was going on  
The other vks weren't surprised, they had noticed that Audrey was getting closer to Mal  
The aks, on the other hand, were shocked  
Mal: "Hey, I'm okay"  
Audrey: "I was scared"  
Mal: "It's okay" she rubbed Audrey's back trying to comfort her  
FG: "Where were you?"  
Evie: "We forgot we can have breakfast here.."  
Chad, that didn't know the situation of the Isle like the others: "What do you mean?"  
Jay: "It means that we aren't used to eating as often as you are, on the Isle you can't take for granted the meals"  
Chad: "Oh my God"  
Doug reassuringly patted his friend shoulder: "I know"  
They finally eat breakfast except for Mal and Carlos  
Audrey: "Mal, mom asked me to ask you if you'd like to come home for the weekend"  
Mal: "What about Leah?"  
Audrey: "She is momentarily not welcomed"  
Mal smiled: "Then I'm in"  
Jane: "But you two can't sleep if you aren't together"  
Chad: "Wait. Is that why the other day you all slept in the same room?"  
Jay: "Yes"  
Mal: "FG found a solution"  
Ben: "Really?"  
The younger twins nodded  
Jay: "Mal will wear something that belongs to Carlos and vice-versa"  
Evie: "We did it sometimes on the Isle"  
Ben: "Why didn't you do it here?"  
Mal: "We didn't trust you"  
Carlos: "Nor this place"  
Evie slapped them on the head: "What they mean to say is that being in a new environment is hard and we didn't want to risk it"  
The aks nodded  
The bell rang, signaling the beginning of the classes  
Mal: "Let's go"  
They went to classes and went on with a normal Monday

* * *

 _Wednesday, Tourney Practice_  
Coach: "Good job, Mal!"  
Mal, sweating, smiled at him: "Thanks Coach" then she went back into the game  
Doug and Evie were seated on the bleachers  
Doug: "Woah. Mal is fierce"  
Evie laughed: "And you noticed it now?"  
Doug laughed too  
They were watching the practice peacefully  
Doug looked at Evie, she was beautiful like always  
 _She is too much for me... I can't possibly be enough for her_  
 _But Jay was clear_  
Doug: "Evie?"  
Evie looked at him with a smile: "Yes, Doug?"  
Doug: "Evie... will you accept to go on a date with me?" he was blushing  
Evie looked a bit surprised but then she smiled: "Yes, I'd like that very much"  
Doug was shocked, Evie must have understood it because she laughed  
Evie: "Yes, I'm accepting to go on a date with you, Doug. I like you. Really"  
Doug smiled and a breathless laugh escaped his lips: "I like you too"  
Jay, Carlos, and Mal were playing against Ben, James, and Chad  
Coach: "Ok, let's play on my 3" he looked at both sides "1, 2, and 3. Go!"  
The game started  
Jay was the one that defended the twins, Mal was the distraction; while Carlos, being the one who was always underestimated, was the one who would score  
The plan was simple and it worked  
James was put down immediately by Jay, Chad was distracted by Mal, Ben was watching Jay when Carlos passed right through his defense and scored  
Jay and Mal ran towards Carlos to hug him, they were jumping up and down  
Chad helped James getting up and Ben was shaking his head  
Coach: "Good job, guys! Again, come on!"  
They started over, same teams, but something was wrong  
Carlos turned worried, Evie got up from the bleachers and Jay took a step towards her  
Mal was holding her head in her hands, she took a step backward and then almost fell, Jay kept her from falling to the ground by taking her in his arms  
Mal was unconscious  
Evie was running towards them, Ben, Carlos, and Jay were trying to wake up Mal  
Coach sent James and Chad to find FG and a doctor then got closer to the group  
Coach: "Move, guys. She needs space"  
Evie: "What happened?"  
Carlos and Jay couldn't answer  
Evie: "What happened!?"  
Jay: "I don't know Evie! She just passed out!"  
Carlos: "Do something!"  
Doug arrived too: "What's wrong?"  
Ben: "Is she breathing?"  
Coach turned to the teens: "Guys, calm down. It's probably for the heat. I sent for the doctor and FG" he checked to see if she was breathing "She is breathing"  
The teens were relieved to hear that  
The doctor and FG arrived  
Doc: "Move away, please. I need space to check on her" he checked to see her pulse, if she was breathing "Grab me a stretcher, I need to bring her in the ambulatory"  
Jay: "I can pick her up"  
Doc looked at him and then nodded  
Jay picked Mal up, while Doc asked the Coach what had happened  
Coach: "They were about to practice when she fainted"  
Doc nodded, thoughtful: "Did she eat today?"  
Evie shook her head: "She was worried about a test and decided to study at lunchtime. This morning she didn't have breakfast because she was late.."  
Doc nodded again: "Low blood sugar"  
They arrived at the ambulatory, Jay put Mal on a cot, then sat on a chair  
Doc: "Let's see" he checked Mal's pulse and breath again, he checked her arms and legs for injury, then he checked her head  
Nothing  
Doc turned to the group that was waiting outside, Jay followed him  
Doc: "She seems fine. I'm going to give her an IV. If she doesn't wake up in 5, we'll need to call an ambulance"  
FG nodded: "I'll check on her with magic"  
Doc moved away to let her enter  
Evie and Carlos were pacing, Jay was standing still like Ben. Chad and Doug were seated  
FG: "Call an ambulance, now"  
Doc: "What is it?"  
Ben called the ambulance  
After 15 minutes the ambulance arrived  
The nurse: "One of you can come with the ambulance"  
They all looked at Ben, who shook his head  
Ben: "Carlos"  
Carlos looked relieved: "Thank you"  
The others went with the minivan

* * *

They arrived at the hospital and found Carlos there, pacing in a circle  
Evie: "Where is she?"  
Carlos: "Don't know"  
Belle and Adam arrived too  
Belle: "What happened?"  
Jay: "Mal fainted and doesn't wake up. FG decided to call an ambulance after she checked on her magically"  
FG was paler than usual: "I hope it's nothing serious but..."  
Adam: "And now where is she?"  
Carlos: "They won't tell me!"  
Adam growled a little and went to the info desk  
Adam: "I'm here for Mal, the daughter of Maleficent"  
The nurse looked at him: "Your Majesty! I'm sorry but as I said to the boy, I can't give you the information unless you are the legal guardian..."  
Adam: "I am the legal guardian"  
Belle arrived with the documents  
Adam put them on the desk: "Where. Is. Mal?"  
Jay: "Your father seems angry"  
Ben could only nod, he was worried  
The nurse: "She is being visited right now. Her condition isn't looking good. But we are doing the best we can. You can see the doctor when the visit is over" she looked at the group "Just the legal guardians"  
Carlos growled and his eyes glowed, Evie grabbed his arm and tried to calm him  
At that moment 2 doctors entered the triage when they saw Adam and Belle they bowed  
Adam: "I'm here for Mal"  
One of the doctors: "I'm doctor Franz. I'm taking care of Mal. We have done some tests and we are waiting for the results. She is stable for now. You can see her if you want. But I need her medical file"  
Belle gave him the file, he thanked her  
Doctor Franz: "Follow me"  
The whole group moved, the doctor guided them to a room, then he stopped  
DF: "She hasn't regained consciousness yet. We are giving her an IV. You can get in"  
They got in and got closer to Mal  
Evie: "Is she in pain?"  
DF: "I don't know"  
Belle: "Can she hear us?"  
Carlos: "Yes"  
Ben: "How do you know that?"  
Carlos: "Because I can hear her"  
Ben got closer, sat on the chair, and took her hand: "Mal since you can hear me... if you dare to die I will kill you"  
The vks laughed while Belle, Adam, and FG smiled  
Carlos: "She heard it"  
DF: "Since you can hear her, could you tell me how she feels?"  
Carlos closed his eyes to concentrate: "Headache. Her stomach hurts too. She can't feel her body... her heartbeat is low"  
DF nodded and left  
Evie turned to look at Belle: "What could it be?"  
Belle: "I think it's the flu... maybe she got the worst kind because she never had it"  
Carlos looked more worried and looked at Evie and Jay that were getting paler  
Carlos whispered: "It can't be"  
Evie: "But if it is..."  
Jay: "She is going to die..."  
Ben turned: "What?"  
Carlos: "She could have something worse than the flu... she could have the Cold"  
Belle: "Well... she'll die and then come back right?"  
Carlos shook his head: "The Cold is unpredictable"  
Adam: "I'm sure they can heal her"  
Carlos: "Well I'm not! What if she dies here and then doesn't come back? She is my sister!" he was about to cry, he whispered again "She is my sister. I can't live without her"  
Ben: "I know what we can try!"  
They all turned to look at him  
Ben: "The True Love Kiss"  
Evie smiled: "Of course!"  
FG: "We can try!"  
Carlos: "Dude, if you save her life, I'll owe you mine"  
Ben: "She is my true love... if she dies... I'll die too"  
Adam and Belle looked at FG, who nodded  
The machine connected to Mal started to make weird sounds  
Jay: "What's going on?"  
The doctors and nurses came in running  
DF: "Get out!"  
They got pushed away  
Ben: "Mal!" then he fainted too

* * *

Ben woke up in a room, he looked around and saw Mal near him  
Ben: "Mal?"  
Mal turned to look at him, she was very pale and looked weak: "Hey" her voice was a whisper  
Ben smiled: "You woke up"  
Mal: "You are so smart, Little Prince"  
Ben sighed in relief: "I was really scared "  
Mal: "It's ok, I'm ok now"  
Ben: "What happened?"  
Mal was about to answer but she coughed, at that moment the doctor came in  
DF: "Goodmorning, Prince Benjamin. How are you?"  
Ben: "I'm good" he tried to sit  
DF: "Wait, let me help" he pushed a bottom near the bed, that moved so that Ben was now sitting  
DF: "What about you, Mal?"  
Mal: "I feel super, doc. I could run a marathon"  
DF laughed: "Great, the test came in. You are getting better but you'll stay here until you are recovered completely"  
Mal: "Fine by me"  
Ben: "What about me?"  
DF: "Well, you took a bad hit on the head when you fainted. We'll run some test and if everything is fine, tomorrow you can go home" he smiled "The nurses will bring you your breakfast soon. See you tomorrow" with a last bow for Ben, he made to leave  
Mal: "Yuppi.. breakfast..."  
DF looked way more serious now: "Mal"  
Mal pouted  
Ben: "What is going on?"  
DF: "Your parents will tell you..."  
Ben: "What?"  
DF: "Mal hasn't been eating as much as she should"  
Ben: "You did this on purpose?!"  
Mal: "Tsk.."  
DF: "She will be following a program that will help her. The psychologist already talked to her"  
Mal was stubbornly looking at the wall  
Ben: "I can't believe it! Why?"  
DF: "I'll leave you to speak" he left the room and closed the door  
Ben: "Why would you do that?"  
Mal was fidgeting with her hands  
Ben got up and went to sit next to her: "Mal?" she looked at him "What happened?"  
Mal smiled, but she seemed lost and sad: "They wouldn't stop talking"  
Ben calmed down: "Who?"  
Mal shrugged  
Ben sighed: "Is someone bothering you?"  
Mal: "I guess you could say that"  
Someone interrupted them, it was their friends  
Audrey went immediately on the right side of Mal's bed, Carlos sat on the bed near Jay, Evie was standing near Jane and Doug, Chad and Lonnie entered and went to stand near Ben  
Ben: "Hey guys"  
Chad patted his shoulder: "How are you, pal?"  
Ben: "All good"  
Evie seemed angry  
Ben: "Evie? Are you all right?"  
Evie looked at him and shook her head: "No, I'm not Ben"  
Mal: "Evie"  
Audrey: "Don't Mal. Evie is right"  
Ben: "What is going on here?"  
Jay: "Some girls said too much"  
Ben raised an eyebrow, he looked at Mal that was looking down  
Carlos: "Some cheerleaders bullied Mal, they said that she wasn't enough for you. That she wasn't pretty or thin enough.. and stuff like that"  
Jane: "They are now being punished by my mom"  
Lonnie: "Yeah, FG and your parents weren't happy"  
Evie: "Maybe because those girls almost killed Mal"  
Mal looked at Evie: "Guys.. leave us alone, please"  
Everyone left, Chad helped Ben, they closed the door behind them  
Ben: "Ok, explain"

* * *

Mal: "Evie"  
Evie: "What, Mal? They almost killed you!"  
Mal: "But they didn't think of the consequences. They didn't tell me to stop eating. I did it. You are mad at me"  
Evie laughed: "Of course I am!" she stopped pacing and started sobbing "How could you?"  
Mal smiled at her weakly: "Come here"  
Evie sat on the bed and took Mal's hand: "I was so worried"  
Mal: "I'm sorry. Really"  
Evie nodded: "I know"  
Mal smiled: "Can you forgive me?"  
Evie: "I can. But if someone else bothers you again, you tell me"  
Mal nodded: "Hug?"  
The two friends hugged for a while, then Evie broke the hug  
Evie: "I'll go grab the guys"

* * *

Ben: "I can't believe it"  
Jane: "I know, right?"  
Carlos: "The doctor said that since she already was underweight, she was more at risk"  
Ben: "How did I not see that coming?"  
Jay: "It's not your fault. Nobody saw it"  
Audrey: "I feel awful.."  
Lonnie: "Audrey, we already..." but a look from Audrey shut her up, she sighed  
Evie came out of the room and told them they could enter  
Audrey went again to sit right next to Mal, everyone could see how guilty she felt, Mal smiled at her and grabbed her hand then turned to look at Ben  
Mal: "Ah Ben, we have some news"  
Ben: "Oh my God, did I lost some gossip?"  
Lonnie smiled: "You certainly did"  
Chad: "You know James had a date?"  
Ben nodded  
Doug: "Well, it went well but... the girl had a surprise for him"  
All the girls rolled their eyes and Audrey blushed  
Ben: "What?"  
Lonnie: "Long story short. Azura, the girl James went out with, likes Audrey"  
Ben was shocked  
Mal: "Benny Boo, close your mouth or you will catch toads"  
The aks: "Toads?"  
Evie: "On the Isle, we say it like that"  
Ben: "Anyway, Audrey?"  
Audrey looked at him  
Ben: "Well?"  
Audrey: "What?"  
Ben rolled his eyes: "Do you like Azura?"  
Audrey blushed again: "It's none of your business"  
They went on talking for hours, then the others had to go home


	41. The Innocents

A few days had passed, Mal was still in the hospital, the doctors were still worried about the tests. Ben had gone back to Auradon Prep, in the afternoon he always went to visit his girlfriend  
Yes, he called Mal his girlfriend... not out loud  
Jay: "Today's practice was boring. I can't wait till Mal comes back"  
They were headed towards the locker room  
Carlos: "Yeah, me too"  
In the last few days, the vks weren't their usual self, Evie was sewing a lot of dresses for Mal, Carlos seemed a little lost without his twin even though it wasn't the first time they were apart, Jay seemed always nervous  
Ben had noticed that Audrey was acting weird, he didn't know if it was because of Mal's absence or Azura  
James had told him that he was ok  
 _A few days ago_  
James: "We had fun, but she isn't into me. I prefer knowing it now than developing feeling for her and having a broken heart" he sighed "We are friends now"  
 _Today_  
After they changed they went to their dorms to drop the Tourney bag and went to have dinner  
Evie and Audrey were talking about dresses, Lonnie was talking with Doug and Jane about a History Test  
Once Evie saw Ben, she stopped talking to Audrey: "Ben, finally. I have the list of the children of the Isle"  
Ben: "I'll go grab food and come back"  
Once everyone was settled, Evie gave Ben the list  
Ben: "This is everyone?"  
Evie nodded  
Ben: "These are all the innocents?"  
Jay sighed: "Ben, the others are dangerous or.. dead"  
Ben: "Ok, let's start with these, and then we'll see"  
He put the list in one of his pockets  
They started eating, then went to the vks room  
The guys started to play a new videogame while the girls talked on the beds

* * *

Meanwhile in the hospital  
A nurse woke up Mal, she had a visit with the nutritionist at 10 a.m.  
Once that visit was over she went back to her room and found Belle there, the Queen was reading a book  
Mal closed the door behind her and approached her bed  
Mal: "Belle?"  
The Queen finally heard her and put aside the book: "Hey, Mal! How are you today?"  
Mal smiled: "I'm ok"  
Belle: "I imagine you can't wait to go home" the nurse came in with Mal's lunch  
Mal sat on the bed: "I do" she looked at the nurse "Thanks Camila"  
The nurse smiled: "You are welcome, dear" she turned to the Queen "This girl is adorable"  
Belle smiled: "She is, isn't she?"  
The nurse: "The other day she helped me clean and bring the food around"  
Mal shrugged: "I was bored"  
The nurse: "All right. See you tomorrow Mal. Your Majesty" she bowed and left  
Belle: "You are really kind"  
Mal shook her head: "It's the bare minimum"  
Belle: "Not everyone would do it"  
Mal decided it was time to change the subject: "What are you doing here?"  
Belle: "I thought you may want company. Do I bother you?"  
Mal shook her head: "Ben usually comes in the afternoon. I thought you would come with him"  
Belle laughed: "No, I think Ben likes some time alone with you"  
Mal smiled, then her smile dropped  
Belle was worried: "What is it?"  
Mal looked at the window: "Those girls.."  
Belle waited for her to talk, she got up and sat on the bed near the girl  
Mal: "Those girls are right. I could never be a good Queen, Belle. All those meetings and the people still hate us... still hate me. They will never approve of the daughter of Maleficent and Hades as the Queen. I'm not enough..."  
Belle put an arm around Mal's shoulders: "Did they tell you that?"  
Mal: "It's the truth" she looked at the Queen "I'm not princess material. I'll never be. It's not who I am. But I care about Ben... I was thinking maybe that I should go somewhere else, he'll find someone that can be a Queen..someone worthy of him"  
Belle: "Mal, I'll explain why you will be a Queen. First of all, you and my son share True Love, he can't live without you, even when you lived on the Isle your heart still found him. And you being different is what makes you special, Auradon needs a Queen like you. You will be fair, kind, strong, and you are like that because of where you lived. You don't have to be a princess. Mal" she lifted Mal's chin to look at her eyes "You are a warrior"  
Mal: "You really think I would be a good Queen?"  
Belle: "I know you will. And I'll help you"  
Mal smiled: "Thank you"  
Belle: "Of course, honey. You are part of my family"  
At that moment Ben entered with a bouquet, he closed the door, he hadn't noticed his mother  
Ben: "Hey Mal, how are you?" he turned and saw his mother "Mom? What are you doing here?"  
Belle smiled: "I came to see how Mal was doing"  
Mal waved: "Hey Ben"  
Ben smiled at her: "I brought you flowers"  
Mal sighed and smiled: "I see, they are beautiful. Even though you killed them"  
Ben shook his head: "I know you don't like it when people pick flowers. These are fake"  
Mal smiled even more: "Thank you"  
Ben: "You are welcome"  
Belle smiled at the interaction: "Well, I should go"  
Mal: "It was nice seeing you Belle"  
Belle: "For me too. I'll see you at home, Ben"  
Ben nodded and hugged his mother, then he sat on the bed with Mal  
Ben: "So, what's up?"  
Mal: "Nothing. But Francis fought with his boyfriend again"  
Ben: "Oh no, why?"  
Mal whispered: "Apparently he saw him with another boy at a restaurant... and they seemed intimate"  
Ben whispered too: "Why are you whispering?"  
Mal shrugged: "Do you have news?"  
Ben: "Audrey has been acting weird. Evie gave me the list of the Innocents"  
Mal: "Can I see it?"  
Ben gave it to her  
Mal nodded: "Yep, it's all of them"  
Ben: "And the other kids?"  
Mal frowned: "Ben, I think that the others are either bad or want to stay on the Isle"  
Ben sighed: "But.."  
Mal: "The solution isn't bringing them all. You have to change the Isle. You need to make some adjustments. That way they can live a proper life there" she was looking at the list  
Ben smiled  
Mal looked up at him: "What?"  
Ben: "I don't know what I would do without you"  
Mal chuckled, Ben caressed her face and she stopped  
Every time Ben came to visit her, there was a weird tension between them, like something was supposed to happen, like something was telling them to be closer  
Ben: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Yes?"  
Ben: "Could I..?"  
Mal: "What?"  
Ben got closer: "Could I... you know..?  
Mal smirked: "What do you want to do?"  
Ben sighed: "You are insufferable sometimes"  
Mal raised an eyebrow: "Maybe... but you like me"  
Ben chuckled: "I actually do"  
Mal: "So, what did you want to do?"  
Ben was about to say something but then he decided to simply do it, he smiled and kissed Mal  
It was a deeper kiss then the first one they had, they stopped for a second, they took a deep breath then Mal decided it wasn't enough  
She kissed him again, she put one hand on his cheek and the other in his hair, she sat with her legs bent under her  
Ben put his hands on her hips and responded to her kiss  
Someone knocked on the door and they split immediately, they both were out of breath, Ben's hair was a little messy  
Mal tried to comb it a little, she took a deep breath and: "Come in"  
Ben was still a little bewildered  
DF: "Hello Mal. I have good news. Good afternoon, Your Majesty"  
Ben didn't answer immediately and Mal slapped him on his arm  
Ben: "Oh, Hello Doctor Franz"  
DF smiled and turned to look at Mal: "Tomorrow you can go home. The tests are better now, you still have to go to Mrs. Merryweather. In a few months, we'll run some other tests"  
Mal smiled at the doctor: "Really?"  
DF: "Really"  
Mal: "Did you hear Ben?"  
Ben: "What?"  
Mal sighed and shook her head  
DF: "Mal can leave the hospital"  
Ben: "Oh my God!" he turned to look at Mal "You come back home"  
Mal: "Geez Ben.. nothing gets past you"  
DF chuckled  
Ben: "We have to celebrate, we'll throw a party" he looked at the doctor "She can do activities, right?"  
DF frowned: "For the first week no. She still needs to rest. This means that you can't play Tourney, at least for a week"  
Mal sarcastically: "Fantastic"  
DF raised an eyebrow: "You want to spend that time here?"  
Mal: "No no"  
DF nodded: "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Prince Ben" he bowed and left  
Ben: "I can't believe it"  
Mal: "Me neither" she got up "We kiss for more than a minute and your brain stops"  
Ben: "What are you talking about?"  
Mal: "Really?" she rolled her eyes "Doesn't matter"  
Ben smiled: "So, what do we do to celebrate?"  
Mal: "I have an idea"  
Ben: "Tell me"  
Mal got closer to him, she put herself between his legs and put her hands on his shoulders  
Ben was surprised, to say the least: "What are you doing?"  
Mal whispered: "I think it's pretty obvious"  
Ben blushed, then Mal kissed him and nothing mattered anymore, he held her tight, his hands on her back  
All he could feel was Mal  
They kissed for a while, then Mal withdrew and smiled, he proceeded to kiss her face, she closed eyes, her nose and went down on her neck  
They were out of breath again  
Mal: "Maybe we should stop"  
Ben: "Why? Do you not like this?" he withdrew  
Mal caressed his face lightly, her fingers being cold as usual: "I like this very much, but we are in a hospital and I shouldn't do activities, remember?"  
Ben put his hands in the air: "You were the one who started this"  
Mal laughed and then stroked his hair: "You know... when your mother was here... we talked a little"  
Ben was moving his hands on her back: "About what?"  
Mal rubbed his arms: "About me being a Queen"  
Ben smiled: "I can't wait"  
Mal glared at him: "Oh, yes you can. And you will"  
Ben chuckled  
Mal: "Anyway, she said that I would be a good Queen. And that I'm part of the family now"  
Ben: "I agree with both sentences. You will be a good Queen, you are smart, kind, fair, selfless, you have a beautiful soul. And you are part of my family, so yeah"  
Mal smiled: "You have the most beautiful soul I have ever met"  
Ben hummed and then: "To be fair, you didn't meet a lot of good people"  
Mal slapped his shoulder: "Very funny"  
Ben took a strand of her hair and put it behind her ear: "I know"  
Mal smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek: "You should go home now, I'll see you tomorrow"  
Ben: "All right, see you tomorrow Mal"  
When they went to sleep they both were thinking about the other with smiles

* * *

Belle and Adam were waiting for Mal at the info point in the hospital  
Adam: "Where is she?"  
Belle smiled at her husband, lately, he had bonded with the vks, finally free of prejudices. He would talk for hours with Jay and Mal about Tourney, with Carlos about his love for robotics, and with Evie about her love for sewing  
Belle: "Don't worry"  
DF: "Your Majesties" he bowed "Mal is preparing her bag"  
Adam: "How is she?"  
DF: "The tests are good, she isn't yet completely healthy. She will have to meet a magical nurse once a month to check on her. No tourney for at least 2 weeks"  
Belle: "All right"  
DF: "Also, we are worried about a relapse. Do you know who bullied her?"  
Adam: "Yes, FG took care of it"  
DF: "You must check on her. She must know you support her"  
Mal arrived behind him: "I can take care of myself"  
DF: "Sure, little dragon. That's why you risked dying a few weeks ago" he was smirking  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Two nurses approached them, a blonde and the other brunette  
The blonde: "Hey you, you were leaving without saying goodbye?"  
Mal smiled: "Camila, Anna"  
The brunette: "Don't forget us"  
Mal: "I won't. Say hi to Francis" she turned to Belle and Adam "Let's go"  
They arrived at Auradon Prep, Mal was carrying her bag  
Adam: "Home sweet home" he looked at Mal  
Mal winced a little, the sun was giving her a headache  
Belle: "You okay, honey?"  
Mal: "Yes, let's go inside"  
FG was waiting for them at the entrance, she had a line of worry between her eyebrows, but she tried to smile  
FG: "Hello darling, how are you?"  
Mal: "I'm fine, FG. Perfectly fine"  
FG: "Oh honey!" she hugged the girl "You got us so worried"  
Mal patted awkwardly on FG's back: "It's okay"  
FG withdrew: "Let's go to your room, your friends are waiting for you"  
They entered and walked through the school, people were staring at them  
Mal glared at them and they turned quickly away  
They arrived at her room, Mal opened the door and FG had been right, her friends were waiting for her  
Ben: "Hi, love" he got closer with a bouquet of purple roses  
Mal blushed: "Hi"  
Carlos almost ran to his sister and hugged her tightly, the twins hugged and talked to each other in their special way, finally together  
When Carlos let Mal go, she was wrapped in a hug by Evie, then Jay hugged her and lifted her  
Then Chad, James, and Doug hugged her, Jane and Lonnie and then Audrey held Mal and kissed her on the forehead  
Mal: "Well, you know you are very funny and all that jazz but... what are you all doing in my room?"  
They all laughed  
Evie: "It's a party, Vio"  
Mal: "You know I hate parties"  
Carlos: "Not every party" he was talking about the parties of the Isles  
Mal punched him on he arm  
FG: "Well, why don't we sit at the table and enjoy a good lunch?" she got her wand and waved it, a table appeared in the room with all kind of food  
They sat there, after they finished eating the Rulers and FG left, while the teens stayed there to talk for hours

* * *

It was 10 p.m., all of their friends had left, the vks were seated in a circle  
Evie: "Two girls are suspended for a month"  
Jay: "The others are either losing a year of school or being transferred. Apparently, it isn't the first time they do something like this"  
Mal nodded: "Ok"  
Carlos: "You won't do anything about it?"  
Mal: "No. If I do, I will only prove them right. If I do, those who don't trust us will feel justified to call us monsters and evil"  
The others nodded  
Mal: "Let's try to sleep"  
They got in one bed and slept together


	42. The Moors

Mal wasn't feeling well, she was hiding it though  
Every time she did magic she would feel weak, she was following a diet but every time she saw food she felt like throwing up  
She went to every visit, but she didn't say anything to the nurse  
She didn't need any help  
She wasn't weak

* * *

Evie: "Are you all right, Mal?"  
Mal was moving her food around on the plate: "Uh? Yeah, I'm okay" she ate the rest of the food  
Carlos was looking at her: "Mal"  
Mal turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow: "Yes?"  
Carlos: "What's wrong?"  
Jay was watching them  
The others were chatting about studying for the upcoming test  
Mal got angry: "I said that I'm okay. Stop it with the interrogation. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Like I did my whole life" she got up and left  
At that point, the others looked at the vks  
Audrey: "Where is she going?" she seemed ready to follow her  
Jay shook his head: "Leave her alone. She is upset"

* * *

In the bathroom  
Mal was throwing up  
She couldn't hold the food back in  
Again. It was the third time this week  
She sat on the floor, sweating, her head was spinning, she held it in her hands and started crying  
What is going on?  
Her body was failing her and she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't stop and she didn't even know why  
She cried for what seemed like an eternity, then she decided to take a calming bath  
...  
There was a knock on the door  
Evie: "Mal, are you in there?"  
Mal took a deep breath, she made the puke smell go away with magic and then answered: "Yes"  
Evie: "Can I come in?"  
Mal opened the door magically  
Evie entered, close the door behind her, went near the bathtub, and sat on the floor  
Mal: "I'm okay"  
Evie: "Okay"  
Mal nodded  
Evie: "You look too pale"  
Mal winced at that  
Evie looked at her best friend: "Mal. I understand that you aren't used to asking for help, but you made a promise. And if you think I didn't notice that you aren't okay.. well, it's insulting. I've seen how weak you are after performing magic" she put a strand of Mal's hair behind her ear and whispered "Trust me. I just want to help"  
Mal looked at her hands: "I don't know what you are talking about, Evie"  
Evie sighed: "I'll leave you to your bath. You know where to find me" she left the room  
Mal let one tear fall on her cheek but she wiped it off, she stayed a little more, she brushed her teeth, then she exited and put on sweatpants  
She couldn't play Tourney, her friends proposed to go with her to watch practice but she couldn't. The sun hurt her skin, whenever she was outside she felt like she was on fire  
She didn't feel like drawing either  
So she went to take a nap in bed, she was so tired

* * *

Ben was worried sick  
Mal wasn't okay, but she wouldn't talk to anyone, Evie had told him about their talk in the bathroom  
He was in his office working on the transfer of the Innocents when he heard a knock  
Ben: "Come in"  
Belle: "Hello darling"  
Ben smiled at his mother, but he must have shown a little worry because his mother frowned at him  
Belle: "What's wrong?"  
Ben sighed  
Belle: "Mal?"  
Ben nodded, he got up and sat on the couch with his mother: "She won't talk about it but.. she isn't herself... I don't know how to help" he was about to cry "I can't lose her, mom"  
Belle hugged him and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him: "Oh honey, can I help somehow?"  
Ben looked at her: "Can you turn back time? I miss her..."  
Belle smiled: "No. But we could take Mal away from school for a while, she could stay with me and Mrs. Potts at the Castle and cook all day. I'm sure FG would understand"  
Ben: "You think it will help?"  
Belle smirked: "Well, I'm sure Mal will appreciate not going to classes for a while"  
They both laughed  
Ben nodded: "Yeah"  
Belle: "All right. You go talk to Mal and I go to FG"

* * *

Ben knocked on the door and entered when he heard the weakest "come in" ever  
Ben smiled at her: "Hey Mal"  
Mal looked at him and smiled, whenever she saw him she felt better: "Hey you" she sat up  
Ben sat in front of her and took her hand  
Mal frowned: "What?"  
Ben: "I'm worried Mal" he looked at her straight in the eyes. He wanted to be honest  
Mal looked down  
Ben: "I know you say you are okay.. but I can feel you slipping away... I can't lose you, Mal"  
Mal looked at him, he seemed as tired as she was  
She brought her hand near his face carefully, almost like she was afraid to hurt him, and caressed him lightly with her cold fingers  
Mal whispered: "I'm so sorry" a tear rolled down her face  
Ben wiped the tear: "I know. But you can't let yourself die... Please, Mal.."  
Mal shook her head: "I can't..." then her magic acted out, the curtains moved even though there was no wind "Please.. go"  
Ben nodded and tried to smile: "Can I at least kiss you?"  
Mal smiled too: "Always"  
Ben bent to kiss her, they met halfway. It was an innocent kiss at first, then Mal felt like a fire started in her stomach, Ben felt it too. Mal's hands ended up wrapped in Ben's hair, Ben's hands were trapping Mal on the bed  
They stopped to catch their breath for a few seconds with their eyes closed, then they looked at each other and smiled  
Ben saw that Mal was feeling better, almost like their kiss somehow gave her more strength, then he realized  
Ben smirked: "True Love Kiss, huh?"  
Mal's hand scratched the back of his head, making him moan, she smiled: "Or just a really good kiss"  
Ben hummed: "Not sure, maybe we could try another time?"  
Mal looked thoughtful: "I suppose we have to sacrifice for the sake of science"  
Ben nodded: "We do indeed"  
They kissed again, Ben leaned over Mal, she withdrew breathless again, he started a trail of kisses down her neck, he nibbled and provoked her to moan, they both were starting to feel the heat increase in the room. Mal put a hand on Ben's chest to stop him and he withdrew  
They had to catch their breath again  
Ben: "You okay?"  
Mal smiled: "Never been better"  
And for the first time, she wasn't lying  
Mal: "No, wait. It could be better" she closed the door magically and kissed him again

* * *

There was a knock on the door  
Ben and Mal were on her bed, she was sleeping with her head on his shoulder while he caressed her long purple hair  
Ben: "Come in"  
Belle entered and smiled at what she saw: "How is she?"  
Ben blushed: "Better, I think"  
Belle smiled: "Really? How?"  
Ben didn't know what to say  
Belle chuckled: "Oh honey. You don't have to be embarrassed, I understand. Young love..." she shook her head smiling "I talked to FG, and she said it was okay. She also said that whatever Mal has, it's related to magic... we need help from someone more powerful than some doctors"  
Ben frowned: "Like who?"  
Belle: "She is calling everyone she knows. Including The Enchantress Agathe"  
Ben's eyebrows almost disappeared under his hair: "Does dad know?"  
Belle nodded: "If it's to help Mal.."  
Ben nodded  
Mal started stirring, then she opened her eyes and looked at Ben: "Ben?"  
Her voice held such vulnerability that Belle's heart melted  
Ben smiled sweetly: "It's okay, you fell asleep while we were cuddling"  
Mal nodded then sat up and noticed Belle  
Belle: "Hello darling"  
Mal smiled: "Hey"  
Belle: "So, how would you like a vacation?"  
Mal was surprised: "Vacation?"  
Belle: "Yeah. You would stay with me and Mrs. Potts at the Castle. No school"  
Mal: "Why?"  
Belle smiled: "We think you need a little more time to rest"  
Mal looked at Ben  
Belle: "Don't worry about it, I've talked with FG and she said it's fine"  
Mal frowned: "I'm not good at school, how could it be fine?"  
Belle sat on Mal's bed: "Ben, could you leave us alone?" she never took her eyes off of Mal  
Ben didn't want to leave Mal but understood what his mother wanted to do. He kissed Mal lightly on the lips, waved at his mother, and left  
Mal watched him go, turned to Belle with a raised eyebrow: "What's going on?"  
Belle frowned at her: "You tell me, Mal"  
Mal huffed: "You too"  
Belle: "Mal, it's clear to anyone that you are going through something. Now, I understand that you need time to recover from.. what happened with those girls, but you aren't. We are worried, honey" Belle tried to grab Mal's hand but she withdrew it "Mal, this isn't you"  
That seemed to snap Mal out of thoughts  
Mal: "And how would you know? We have met like.. 3 months ago. You don't know me" she was angry now, she got out of bed "Maybe I'm not what you think I am. Maybe Adam was right. Maybe I'm not kind, nor gentle or selfless or smart" her eyes were glowing "Maybe I'm evil!" the curtains opened and the windows broke  
The glass fragments were thrown across the room  
Belle raised her hands to protect her face  
When she dropped them she saw that she shouldn't have protected herself but Mal, the fragments had all went towards the girl  
The girl was still standing, she had cuts everywhere, face, legs, arms, waist...they weren't deep, her hair was messy. She was watching something that Belle couldn't see  
Belle got up slowly as to not scare the girl, she got in front of her but didn't get too close  
Belle: "Honey"  
Mal didn't react  
Belle: "Mal"  
Mal looked at her  
Belle smiled, trying to reassure Mal: "Hey, I'm Belle, do you recognize me?"  
Mal nodded  
Belle: "Okay, now I'm going to get closer to you, is that okay?"  
Mal stiffened  
Belle: "No. Okay, I'll stay right here. Do you want me to call someone?"  
Mal's eyes glowed again, she turned towards the window and jumped out  
Belle took her phone from her pocket and dialed Ben's number  
Ben: "Mom, did she accept your help?"  
Belle: "Benjamin, come here. Now" then she hung up

* * *

Ben was with their group, they were talking about Mal  
Jay wasn't saying anything, he didn't know what to say, how to help his little sister  
Lonnie, who was sitting near him: "What can we do to help her?"  
Evie: "I don't know" her voice was a whisper  
Carlos was quiet too, his sister was dying on him and he couldn't anything to stop it  
Audrey: "Maybe we could go to the spa"  
At that Carlos and Jay scoffed  
Audrey: "At least I'm proposing something. You haven't said anything. It's like you aren't even trying to help her. You don't care!"  
Carlos glared at her: "Listen, Princess. You are still a nobody to us, remember it. We have known each other for years and we are bonded by a difficult life, awful memories, and strong character. You, on the other hand, have in common what? Your lucky, easy life? Don't you dare, ever again, tell me I don't care for my sister. Never!" he was furious, his eyes glowing  
Jay got up and went near Carlos, to show his support, Evie couldn't help but glare at Audrey  
Doug was next to her, he put his arm around her to comfort her but she pulled away and got up to go near Jay  
They were a united front against the others  
Ben got up: "Guys. We want the same thing, for Mal to be safe, to be healthy, to be happy"  
Audrey got up too: "Maybe some of us could be more helpful than others"  
Carlos got up and made to attack Audrey, but Ben stopped him, Jay and Evie hadn't even tried to stop the younger boy  
Ben: "Stop it, Audrey!" he looked at her, she sat down. He turned to look at the vks "And you guys calmed down. We are just trying to help"  
Jay spoke for the first time: "Yeah? Like when your parents decided that leaving children with villains was a good idea?"  
Ben winced, he couldn't blame them if they couldn't get past that. He knew they weren't angry at him or the others, they were angry at the situation but it still hurt that they would bring that up  
Lonnie, Doug, and Jane looked shameful, Chad was offended but knew that they were right, and Audrey... Audrey looked desperate  
Audrey brought her defense down: "I just want her back. I know I was unfair to you, now and when I met you for the first time... but I learned to care for her.. to love her" a tear rolled down her face "She is my friend... I just want her back" she started crying freely  
Evie's frown melted, Carlos sat down and looked at nothing in particular, Jay put one hand on his friend's shoulder  
Then everything changed  
Carlos got up again, Jay and Evie looked towards the dormitory  
Then Ben's phone rang, he answered and what he heard worried him to death  
Belle: "Benjamin, come here. Now" then she hung up  
His mother rarely called him like that  
Ben: "I have to go" he ran to Mal's room  
The vks were following him, he opened the door and found Belle on the ground looking at the window  
Belle turned to look at her son: "Her magic acted out" she nodded towards the window "we were talking and she got angry with me..." a sob escaped her lips "I was just trying to help"  
Carlos looked around, then looked at the window: "Where is she?"  
Belle: "I... I don't know. She just jumped out"  
Jay turned to glare at the Queen: "What happened?"  
Carlos growled: "What did you do to my sister?" his eyes were glowing  
Evie went in front of the boys: "Calm down. It's not her fault"  
Carlos: "Isn't it? We were just fine on the Isle. Mal was right, we should have stayed there. We wouldn't have this problem to begin with"  
Jay just nodded  
Evie: "Carlos..."  
Carlos: "What? It's the truth. On the Isle, we didn't have these kinds of problems. Mal was perfectly fine even without him" he glared at Ben "But of course these goody-two-shoes had to bring us here, to show how much better they are than us"  
Evie looked at her brother: "Jay, please.."  
Jay: "He's right, Evie" he turned to look at Carlos "Let's go find her"  
The two got out from the window like Mal had done  
Evie turned to look at Ben and Belle that looked crestfallen: "They didn't mean it... I'm sorry.. they are just worried about Mal" she left the same way her friends did  
Ben helped his mother up, then they sat on Mal's bed  
Ben: "Mom, is it true? Is it my fault?"  
Belle turned to her son: "Benjamin. This isn't your fault, none of it. Mal..." she looked down "She needs our help. Honey, you lived in a world way easier than theirs. They need more time to accommodate... Life isn't always easy. And it sure isn't always a fairytale. Some problems can't be solved with just a kiss" she looked at her son again "This is one of them. but it's not your fault. Okay?"  
Ben nodded: "I love her. I really do... but if that isn't enough for her... I will let her go..."  
Belle smiled: "Ben, you are so sweet... but it won't be necessary. She loves you too, you share the strongest True Love I have ever seen. Nothing can tear you apart, nothing ever will, nothing ever did"  
Ben looked at his mother: "Then why didn't she talk to me?"  
Belle: "Because she doesn't understand what's going on"  
Ben: "Do you?"  
Belle shook her head: "No, I don't" she combed his hair with her hand "But we can find her and try to help her"  
Ben shook his head, then he got up: "Stay here, tell what happened only to FG and dad. Nobody else has to know. Make sure that FG doesn't tell Jane" he looked at the window "I know where she went"  
Ben left the room  
Belle got up and sighed looking through the window: "Where are you, Mal?"

* * *

Mal was running fast like never before, she needed to get far away from everyone  
He would find her, she knew that, she could already feel his presence in her soul  
In the last weeks, they had tested their bond with FG  
Apparently, their bond was the strongest to ever exist

 _One week ago_  
FG: "Your bond will only grow, I don't know what you will be able to do for sure. But you are capable of feeling each other presence, you kind of know what you are feeling, you were able to communicate through the dome... It isn't just True Love.. you are soulmate"  
Ben was smiling like an idiot, Mal scoffed  
Mal: "So what? We are destined to be together?"  
FG looked at her sympathetically: "Well, it is your choice"  
Ben and Mal looked at each other confused  
Ben: "I thought you said we have a True Love and we are soulmate... but it's a choice?"  
Mal got up from the chair she was in and looked through the window: "We already made it, didn't we?"  
FG: "I don't think you realized it, but yes, you did"  
Mal sighed  
Ben didn't understand what the two faires were talking about  
Mal turned to look at him: "When we first saw each other in those dreams, we had the choice to ignore it... but we didn't. Because I needed you and you... I don't know why... needed me. So we choose our connection"  
Ben: "So we could have never met?"  
Mal: "Maybe you would have eventually decided to bring us here anyway, I mean destiny has its ways"  
FG: "Mal is right"  
Ben: "So.. now what?"  
FG: "We'll see how your bond grows.. and that's it for now"  
Mal left the room  
Ben looked at her: "She doesn't like it"  
FG looked at the future King: "What?"  
Ben: "This. The fact that she didn't really have a choice. We didn't know what we were doing when we chose to keep seeing the other in those dreams..."  
FG: "Mal knows how magic works. I think it's just a lot to accept. Just give her time"  
Ben shook his head and whispered: "It won't be enough..."

 _Today_  
She was at the ruins at the Enchanted Lake  
She felt safe finally, the magic around her making her feel at home  
She sat down and put her feet in the water, and felt like the magic of the Lake was getting through her body and healing her  
Mal whispered a few words and her clothes changed, music could be heard, her wings had come out but she hadn't noticed it  
 _Finally, I feel good doing magic_  
She could feel Ben getting closer  
Ben parked the bike and entered the woods to find Mal  
He knew she was there, he could feel her and he knew she felt him too  
She was calmer now  
 _Here she is_  
She was laying on the cold ground with her feet in the water of the Lake, she was wearing a violet dress and her wavy hair was spread around her head  
Ben got closer: "Those are new"  
Mal looked at him confused  
Ben: "You got wings"  
Mal looked surprised, she turned to see a pair of blue and purple fairy wings  
Mal: "Huh"  
Ben sat down: "You look terrible"  
Mal smiled  
Ben: "You scared us"  
Mal: "I know"  
Ben: "You feel better?"  
Mal just nodded  
Ben decided to lay beside her, they looked at each other in silence, then Mal grabbed his hand without looking away  
Mal: "I love you. So much. But I need my space.. and when your mother tried to talk to me... I felt like a baby. I've grown up in a world that's very different from yours. You can't expect me to forget who I am, who I was... I know you don't" she looked up at the sky "But Auradon does"  
Ben looked at the sky too: "Well... I think Auradon should go to hell"  
Mal laughed: "I completely agree"  
Ben: "Mal, I love you. Not some Auradon version of you, if you want to go around dressed in black head to toe I'll love you if you want to never wear a dress I'll love you if you want to fly around instead of walking I'll love you... and I'll probably ask for a ride because I mean.. we are talking about flying"  
Mal smiled sincerely at him: "Thanks"  
Ben: "Always"  
Mal: "Can you text my brother and let him know I'm fine?"  
Ben: "Already did"  
Mal: "Can we stay here a little longer?"  
Ben: "We can stay for as long as you want"  
Mal put her head on Ben's shoulder and her hand on his heart  
They stayed a while like that, then they got up and got back to school

* * *

It had been a few days since Mal's accident, they had figured out the problem  
It was Mal's magic, it was rebelling against her body, the day after, it happened to Carlos too  
He was in the vks room with Ben, Jay, and Jane when he grabbed his head and screamed, the room started spinning and he blacked out when he woke up his hair had changed to a dark shade of blue  
FG had said it was Maleficent's doing, when she had created them she had intended them to be evil, when they started using magic for doing good or not evil stuff, the curse acted  
She didn't know how to help the twins, they tried not to use magic but their friends could see how bad they felt  
They didn't eat like beasts anymore, they didn't run around, they had to leave Tourney, Carlos left the robotic class and Mal left the art class  
Their friends spent all the free time in the library with FG, the magic users that the headmistress had called had arrived and were studying the problem  
Trying to find a solution to the curse

* * *

One evening  
They were at their usual table when Mal and Carlos started laughing  
Ben smiled seeing his girlfriend (they had made it official) laughing for the first time in days  
The others smiled too, relieved that their friends were still there, even if not completely  
Mal: "Do you remember that time we stole from Gaston?"  
Carlos nodded: "Mom was so proud"  
Mal sighed: "Even Cruella smiled at us"  
Carlos: "Those were good times"  
Everyone stopped smiling, this was what all FG's friends had been worried about, they had warned them: the curse was starting to making the twins evil  
Ben: "What are you talking about?"  
Mal looked at him, and for a second she seemed to not recognize him, then she smiled again: "I'm sorry, what?"  
Audrey was getting pale: "You were laughing about doing something evil"  
Mal looked at her, then she turned to Carlos with a frown  
Carlos: "What?" he was confused too  
Jane touched his hand: "You were talking about stealing from Gaston? And your mothers being proud of that"  
Carlos moved the hand Jane was touching: "I don't know what you are talking about"  
Mal scoffed: "Of course, I knew it. They are trying to sabotage us"  
Evie: "Stop it!" she was about to cry  
The twins looked at her, shocked: "Blue? What's wrong?" they had talked together again, they seemed back to normal now  
Jay shook his head, he was desperate: "This has to stop"  
Mal: "What just happened?"  
Doug: "I recorded it"  
They all turned to look at him, he was sitting near Chad with a camera that was pointed towards Mal and Carlos  
Jay was about to get angry, but Mal interrupted  
Mal: "Thanks Doug" she took the camera he was offering her  
It seemed like the twins knew about the recording because they hadn't seemed surprised or annoyed  
Lonnie: "Why did you record them?"  
Mal and Carlos didn't even glance up from the camera and answered together: "We asked him"  
Doug smiled: "When FG told them what the curse could do, they came to me and asked me to record them in case I saw something weird happening around them"  
Ben looked at Mal, she was watching the video with a hand on her mouth  
Carlos and she finished the video, put down the camera, and took their heads in their hands  
They seemed ready to surrender, clearly ragged  
Carlos's voice broke: "I can't anymore"  
Mal's was a whisper when she said the same thing as her brother: "I can't anymore either"  
Carlos had bags under his eyes, he couldn't sleep: "What about Dad?"  
Mal snapped towards him: "If we go on the Isle, the curse will stop!"  
Everyone at the table sighed, they already had had this conversation, but when they had talked about it with Merryweather she completely disagreed  
 _Merryweather: "If you go on the Isle now, the curse will stop sure, but we don't know if you will heal. You could stay in a dangerous stage if the curse doesn't stop you could go completely evil... and we would never know"_  
The other magic users seemed to agree with the Fairy  
Carlos: "No! But Dad could do something with his ember!"  
Mal: "Oh right"  
They had also had this conversation, Hades, Jafar, and Grimhilde had been informed of what was going on  
FG, Evie, and Jay talked with them every day, sometimes more than one time in a day. Ben was working on a way to make the three come to Auradon, at least until Carlos and Mal were safe, his dad was helping him  
Ben: "Mal?"  
Mal turned to look at him, she was paler than ever, she had lost weight, but her eyes still held love when they stopped on him: "Yes?"  
Ben smiled: "Will you come with me for a walk?"  
Mal smiled and nodded, he took her cold hand and led her out of the cafeteria  
Carlos: "I don't know how long we have..." he looked at Jane and then sighed  
Jane: "Carlos, we'll figure something out" her smile was sad "We won't stop looking until we find a solution"  
Carlos smiled coldly: "What if you find the solution too late?" he got up "I'm going for a walk too"  
Jane: "I'll come with you" she got up  
Carlos: "No offense Jane. I need to stay alone"  
Jane sighed and nodded: "I understand" she sat down  
Evie and Jay looked at Carlos and nodded, he left the cafeteria  
Audrey: "There's got to be a way out of this"

* * *

Mal and Ben were walking in the park of Auradon Prep  
Mal looked at the sky: "It's beautiful, isn't it?"  
Ben looked at her: "You are beautiful"  
Mal smiled and looked at him: "I have to tell you something"  
They stopped walking  
Ben: "Yes?"  
Mal took both his hands, she looked at them and then looked at him in the eyes: "I want to thank you, for saving me. For bringing me here" she smiled, her eyes were sparkling with tears "For introducing me to hot cocoa and rain that doesn't hurt" A tear rolled down her face "Thank you, for letting me be myself. Thank you, for being you... you know I hate those three words, and I hate when they are used too soon or too often so I won't say them. I'll say thank you" she cupped his cheek "Thank you for these few months and for all those dreams"  
Ben was about to cry: "Don't you dare say goodbye"  
Mal shook her head: "I just want you to know it in case... in case the solution comes too late, okay?" she looked at him, her voice betrayed her emotions  
Ben caressed her face: "Since you don't like those words, I'll say thank you too. For being you, for saving me from a boring life" he let out a watery laugh "For the magic you brought in my life, for those dreams... for being real"  
He leaned and their foreheads touched  
Mal chuckled: "If mother could see us.. she would get so mad. I mean, it's like the history is repeating itself kind of"  
Ben: "Why?"  
Mal: "A fae falling in love with a human... and the tragic end, you know... when we were on the Isle and she wasn't too bad she would often tell me about..." she stopped talking and withdrew  
Ben got worried: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Oh my God" she turned around  
Ben tried to see what got her attention  
It was Carlos, he was running towards them  
Once he got close enough, Ben recognized the same expression he had seen on Mal's face one moment before  
The twins were face to face and smiled at the same time  
Mal and Carlos: "The Lake. We need to go to the Lake"  
Ben was confused: "What lake?"  
The twins turned to look at him with the same expression of hope  
Mal and Carlos: "The Moors. The Lake there will help us"  
Ben gasped: "Oh my God!"  
The twins nodded and laughed, a real laugh after so many days  
Ben: "Let's go to FG"  
And so they went to the office of the headmistress  
FG: "Of course, how didn't we think about it sooner?"  
She was shaking her head, but she was smiling too, relief clear on her face  
Mal: "We can go right now"  
Carlos nodded  
FG: "Now is a little late, don't you think?"  
Mal: "The sooner the better"  
FG thought about it for a while  
FG: "You are right. We don't know how fast the curse can progress. I'll go with you, wait a minute"  
The twins got out of the office  
Mal and Carlos: "We are going now"  
Evie and Jay sighed in relief  
Evie: "Can we come with you?"  
Mal: "I don't think it's safe. You are humans after all"  
Evie and Jay nodded  
Jay: "FG is going with you?"  
Carlos: "Yes"  
FG exited her office: "I'm ready" she looked at Evie "Jane will be sleeping with you, is that a problem?"  
Evie shook her head  
FG: "Perfect. Let's go kids"  
Evie and Jay went back to their room where their friends were waiting  
Evie: "They are going now. Jane, you sleep here tonight"  
Jane: "Fine by me"  
Ben: "Can I stay here too? I don't think I can stay alone tonight"  
Evie smiled: "Of course, Ben"  
The others left to go to their rooms  
Then the waiting began

* * *

Mal, Carlos, and FG went to the park where Carlos created a portal, they got through it and were greeted by the creatures of the Moors  
Lilian: "We were wondering when we would see you again"  
Mal and Carlos sighed in relief the moment they breathed the air in the magic forest  
FG: "We need your help again"  
Lilian's expression transformed into one of worry: "Maleficent?"  
FG shook her head: "No, she is on the Isle"  
Mal: "We are the problem"  
The moment Lilian concentrated on the twins she seemed to understand  
Lilian: "You are cursed"  
The three guests nodded, the other creatures seemed worried  
Lilian: "I see Maleficent's magic in it"  
Mal: "She is the one that created us"  
Lilian nodded: "Yeah, I can see that you aren't human at all... maybe the Tree will know what to do"  
Mal and Carlos nodded  
Lilian: "Follow me"  
They started to go on a path that led to the core of the Moors, it took a while but finally after what seemed like days they arrived  
The Tree was gigantic, large like at least three buses and tall like 20 normal oak trees  
Mal and Carlos: "Woah"  
Lilian smiled: "Go on, touch it with your left hand... it will communicate with you"  
The twins got closer and did as told  
The moment they touched the Tree they felt the magic in their veins boil, then something warm inside them that relaxed their bodies  
A voice boomed inside their head: _You are the famous Maleficent's creation. I can see your problem, young creatures... You are supposed to be evil and yet somehow you changed your destiny... I will help you. You must go to the Lake, he will cure the curse. Your powers won't go away, don't worry. But you will notice some changes. Now go, and let the Lake set you free..._  
Just like those calming sensation had come they left  
The twins withdrew their hands and walked away  
Mal: "The Lake will help us"  
Lilian nodded: "Let's go then"  
They arrived at the Lake  
Carlos: "Will it hurt?"  
Lilian: "Probably"  
FG: "Really?"  
Lilian: "Well, it's a curse from Maleficent. And it is the one that created them..."  
FG: "Maybe there is another way"  
Mal and Carlos: "No"  
FG: "But.."  
Mal looked at her and smiled: "Don't worry, FG"  
Carlos: "We got this"  
Mal: "You should go somewhere else"  
Carlos nodded  
FG: "No, I'll stay here"  
Lilian: "They may yell"  
FG closed her eyes: "I'll stay here"  
Mal, Carlos, and Lilian sighed  
Lilian: "Okay then, when you are ready"  
Mal took Carlos's hand and they got together inside the Lake, the magic users got in a circle like they had done for Maleficent a month ago  
Lilian: "Lake, heal your children from the curse upon them. They were created to be evil but managed to become good creatures. For that, we ask you mercy on their souls. Heal them"  
Their eyes started glowing, the twins were looking at the stars preparing themselves for the pain to arrive  
The Lake started to glow too and when the glow reached the twins the healing started  
And the pain arrived  
They didn't yell at first, it wasn't that bad but after a while, Mal and Carlos started to feel like they were on fire, they closed their mouth shut  
Then the real pain started and they couldn't hold it anymore  
FG started crying when the yelling began  
It took the Lake about an hour to heal them, when it finished the glow started to disappear until the water turned normal  
The twins were conscious but in a kind of shock-state  
Two faires helped them out of the Lake and they conjured 2 stretchers for them to lay on  
FG: "Thank you, again"  
Lilian: "Of course.. even though I'm not sure what happened today is something to celebrate"  
She was talking about the suffering the twins had to endure  
FG: "I agree. I hope to see you on a happier occasion"  
Lilian bowed her head lightly as a goodbye: "You know your way out"  
FG turned and created a portal, then she moved the two stretchers magically and got through  
When she arrived at Auradon Prep it was dawn, she transported the teens to the infirmary where Doc connected them at a monitor to check their vital signs, they were sleeping now, she went to have a shower and change her dress  
Then she ate something and went to her office from where she called Belle to inform her that the curse was over

* * *

It was 9 o'clock on a Saturday morning, the kids in the vks room woke up, got dressed up, and went to the cafeteria where they met the rest of the group  
They were about to sit and have breakfast when Jane got a text from her mother, she wanted them to go to the infirmary so they went  
There they found Belle, FG, and Adam  
Ben: "How did it go?"  
FG smiled: "It's over. They are fine. They are sleeping though, we should let them rest. If you want to stay here you can"  
Everyone sighed in relief  
Evie and Jay went to sit near the window, Jane and Ben were near the door of the little room where Mal and Carlos were sleeping  
Doug, Chad, Lonnie, and Audrey sat on the other chairs  
The three adults left and went to the headmistress's office to take tea and wait there for the twins to wake up


	43. Sisters

Audrey: "Why does it take so long?"  
Ben looked at her: "They need to rest, Audrey. Don't worry"  
Audrey nodded, she was nervous, she wanted her friend back  
Evie and Jay's eyes were glowing, they were searching for their friends. Jane started pacing in a circle  
Lonnie: "You think they are in pain?"  
Jane looked at her: "Yes"  
All eyes were on her now  
Chad: "How do you know?"  
Jane: "The Lake. When we went there for Maleficent... she suffered a lot" she looked at Evie, Jay, and Ben "You have seen the consequences... My mom told me that it wasn't easy to watch the ritual... so yes, they are in pain"  
Ben: "They are strong. They can handle it" he was nervous now  
Then the door opened and a doctor came ou  
Doc: "They woke up"  
All the teens in the room sighed in relief  
Ben got up: "Can we see them?"  
Doc smiled at the young Prince: "They requested to see Evie and Jay" he looked at the twins "You can enter now"  
Evie and Jay entered  
Doc: "You should go, they are really tired, they need a lot of rest. You can see them tomorrow"  
Ben: "Can we at least say hi?"  
Doc shook his head: "Trust me. It's better if you wait until tomorrow. We will transfer them to their room, so they are more comfortable"  
Ben was about to say something else but Jane interrupted him  
Jane: "Of course, can you say hi from us?"  
Doc nodded and smiled  
Jane: "Let's go guys"  
They left and went to FG's office  
FG: "Hey kids. They woke up?"  
Ben: "Yes, but we couldn't enter"  
FG nodded: "Evie and Jay are with them?"  
Audrey: "Yeah. They could get in"  
FG smiled: "What happened to the twins was really tough. They need to rest"  
Belle: "Ben, you should stay here with us. We need to organize some things for the Coronation. After all, it's in a few weeks"  
The others left and went to the cafeteria where they found Amir, James, and Azura, so they sat with them  
James: "How are they?"  
Ben: "They woke up, we can see them tomorrow. They are fine"  
Amir: "At last, the coach wouldn't stop asking about them"  
They went on talking about this and that when it came time to go to bed

* * *

In the infirmary  
Evie: "Hey"  
The twins were laying in the beds, paler than ever, their eyes were red, they didn't look very healthy  
Mal and Carlos whispered: "Hey"  
Jay went near Carlos: "How do you feel?"  
Carlos: "Never better"  
Mal: "Peachy"  
Evie and Jay smiled  
Evie: "What about the curse?"  
Mal looked at her: "We are free"  
Evie: "Wonderful" she rubbed Mal's arm  
The twins nodded  
The doctor entered the room  
Doc: "We are ready to transfer you to your room"  
The twins sat on two wheelchairs and Jay and Evie pushed them to get in their room, then they separately took a bath, Evie helped Mal while Jay helped Carlos, then they laid on their beds and fell asleep. Evie and Jay stayed there, to check on their friends and stayed up all night  
The day after, when Mal and Carlos woke up, Evie and Jay went to take the breakfast and bring her in the room  
They all ate together, then went back to sleep for a little longer  
They woke up again at the sound of knocking  
Jay went to answer the door, then went back to sleep like the others  
Jay and Evie went out to take lunch and bring it in the room, and like in the morning after eating they went to sleep  
Again, someone knocked on the door and Evie went to answer it, then woke up the others  
Like the day before, Mal and Carlos took a bath, an hour later Doc came in to visit them, they were recovering quickly  
Evie and Jay went to take dinner, they ate and again went to sleep for the night  
It was almost 11 a.m. when Ben went to see how the vks were, it had been 2 days since he had seen Mal and Carlos  
Jay answered the door and let him in the room  
Mal and Carlos sat on their bed, they were having breakfast, they both smiled at him  
Mal: "Hi there"  
Ben smiled too: "Hey, how are you doing?"  
Carlos: "Much better now"  
Ben: "Well finally"

* * *

It had been a week now, everything was back to normal. Carlos and Mal had rejoined the Tourney team, the art, and the robotic class. They played in their first game and won, thanks to Mal's scores  
Mal and Ben had gone on other dates, Carlos and Jane had their first one, it went very well, when Carlos had come back he was smiling ear to ear  
Doug and Evie went on a date too, Evie described it as perfect

* * *

Jay and Lonnie had been fencing for an hour now when they decided to take a break  
Jay was drinking  
Lonnie: "Hey Jay"  
Jay looked at her: "Yes?"  
Lonnie looked him in the eyes: "Will you go on a date with me?"  
Jay smiled: "I'd love too, malady"  
Lonnie smiled: "Good. What do you think about tomorrow?"  
Jay got closer to her, he took her hand and kissed it: "Perfect"  
Lonnie laughed: "Ok, let's go back to fencing"

* * *

Aurora was waiting in the hall of Auradon Prep for her daughter and her half-sister  
Mal: "Hey you"  
Aurora smiled: "Hey, where is Audrey?"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "She is still packing"  
Aurora chuckled: "Of course she is"  
Ben came running: "Hey Mal!"  
Mal smiled seeing her boyfriend: "Hey you"  
Ben put his arms around her waist: "Were you leaving without saying goodbye to your boyfriend?"  
Mal put her arms around his neck and tilted her head to the side: "Mmm maybe"  
Ben smiled and leaned in: "You are evil"  
Mal scratched Ben's head and pulled his hair a little: "I know. But you like me anyway"  
Ben: "I actually do"  
Mal: "Give me a kiss"  
Ben chuckled: "Always so demanding" but he leaned and kissed her  
Mal: "You should go, you have to meet with your parents. I'll see you in a few days. Behave" she kissed him again, this time with more passion  
Audrey: "Oh please stop!"  
The couple separated with a smile and said at the same time: "Hi Audrey"  
Audrey: "Come on Mal, we have to leave"  
Mal gave Ben a last kiss and grabbed her bag: "Bye Little Prince"  
Ben smiled at her: "Bye Mal"  
The three women left the school  
Aurora: "So how are you?"  
Mal: "Very well, what about you Rory?"  
Aurora smiled at the nickname, in the last few weeks she and Mal had become more intimate and had a relationship very similar to one two sisters would share, that's why Aurora considered her like a half-sister  
Aurora: "Very excited to spend this long weekend with you" she turned to look at Audrey "And you?"  
Audrey sighed: "I'm... I don't know"  
Aurora frowned: "Is there something wrong?"  
Audrey shook her head: "No.. but I need your advice on something" she looked at her mother and Mal "The both of you"  
They entered in the limousine  
Mal: "Is it about Azura?"  
Audrey nodded  
Aurora: "What about Ariel and Eric's daughter? Did you fight?"  
Audrey shook her head: "No... I.. it's just that..."  
Mal understood that Audrey was worried about her mother reaction so she decided to step in and see what Aurora would say about her experience with girls  
Mal: "Ben is the first guy I date... On the Isle I used.. to hang out with girls, you know what I mean?"  
Aurora looked shocked for a second, then put a hand on Mal's leg: "Oh Mal, you need advice?"  
Mal: "No, I just... is it okay?"  
Aurora smiled: "Of course it is. Love isn't about gender. I would never, never, judge someone for who they love"  
Mal and Audrey smiled in relief, Mal looked at Audrey and nodded  
Audrey: "Mom?"  
Aurora looked at Audrey, she had seen the exchange and started to understand what was going on: "Yes, baby girl?"  
Audrey: "It's about Azura... she likes me and... I like her back..."  
Aurora smiled: "And did you told her?"  
Audrey: "Not yet... I wanted to talk to you before deciding anything..."  
Aurora: "Oh honey, you don't have to ask for my permission. Azura is a kind and caring girl, and the only important thing is that you care for her. Your father and I will love you always, no matter who you choose to be with" she opened her arms  
Audrey hugged her mother: "Oh mom, I was so worried"  
Aurora rubbed her daughter's back: "It's okay, baby girl. It's okay"  
They spent the rest of the journey talking about Azura and Ben, two hours later they had arrived and the limousine stopped, they went inside the Castle and Mal was surprised to see how gigantic it was  
Mal: "Woah"  
Audrey and Aurora laughed  
Aurora: "Yeah, it's pretty big, huh?"  
Philip: "Hey you arrived" he smiled at Mal "Hey Mal, how are you?"  
Mal: "I'm pretty well, thanks. How about you, Phillie?"  
Philip chuckled at the nickname: "Perfectly fine" he turned to his daughter "Hello, baby girl. Give your daddy a hug"  
Audrey hugged her father, then she withdrew: "Dad, I have to talk to you"  
Philip: "Are you all right?"  
Audrey nodded and glanced at her mother who smiled  
Audrey: "Yeah, it's about... Azura"  
Philip raised an eyebrow: "Okay? What about her?"  
Audrey took a deep breath: "I like her"  
Philip looked at Aurora, and he smiled: "Well, does she like you back?"  
Mal stepped in: "Hell yes"  
Aurora and Philip laughed  
Philip: "Then you should tell her. I'm sure you will be happy... and if she hurts you" he turned to Mal "You tell me"  
Mal laughed wickedly: "Of course I will, Phillie"  
Aurora: "About the nicknames, I have someone you should meet"  
Mal raised an eyebrow curiously: "Who?"  
A man: "Me"  
Mal turned to look at a tall man, he wore a black outfit and his hair was black as oil, his eyes were black too  
Mal raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms: "And you are?"  
The man smiled: "I'm Diaval, an old friend of your mother"  
Mal's jaw dropped  
Diaval laughed: "Yeah, I guess your mother talked about me"  
Mal: "Yeah, the first years... then she went all psycho..." she shook her head "So, are you still a shape-shifter?"  
Diaval: "Yes, I am" he stepped closer to Mal "And you are the creation of Maleficent, right?"  
Mal: "Well, we kind of both are"  
Diaval smiled: "Yeah, we are" his smile dropped "How is she?"  
Mal: "She is in prison, right now. She was convicted to life in prison for mass murderer. Even the Isle has rules"  
Diaval: "Well... she changed" he sighed sadly "she would have never done anything like that before"  
Mal nodded: "I know... the creatures of the Moors told me a few stories about her... and when I was very young she still had some clear moments..."  
Diaval nodded: "She was a good mother, though, right?"  
Mal's eyes darkened: "No, she wasn't. She started beating me when I was 5 years old. She killed me multiple times" she rolled up her sleeves to show her scars  
Diaval took a step back: "No, she wouldn't" he looked at Aurora  
Aurora smiled sadly and nodded  
Mal glanced between Diaval and Aurora: "You didn't prepare him, Rory"  
Aurora: "It's not something you can be prepared for"  
Diaval got even closer and reached for Mal's arms, she looked at him warily but let him take them, his hands were cold like hers, he looked at her scars, weirdly she felt comfortable around the man  
Diaval: "I'm so sorry"  
Mal shrugged: "It's not your fault"  
Diaval: "Isn't it? I could have stopped her... helped her when she needed me..." he shook his head  
Mal took Diaval's hands: "Not your fault. She did this..." looked at her scars and then at Diaval "This. This is her doing. And you know her, she wouldn't have listened to you... when the war began... it was too late"  
Diaval hugged Mal, she stood frozen for a moment, still not used to physical touch, but then she relaxed and hugged him back  
Mal: "She cared for you, you know? When she talked about you she had this sparkle in her eyes..." she withdrew, her arms still around him "You were important for her"  
Diaval: "As she was to me. And since she was so important I will honor our friendship taking care of you" he smiled "And your twin"  
Mal: "Thank you" she looked at Aurora and Philip "She always talked about you, Carlos spent a lot of time with Hades, and Cruella... well she was off in her room drinking most of the time so I had my mother all for myself... She used to tell me about her childhood, her friends, you... and I always wondered if I would meet you one day... I was still so naive.." she shook her head "But now I'm here and being with you it's like being with her, with the part of her that could love... I don't know if she ever loved me, but I'm sure she loved you"  
Aurora started crying and went to hug Mal, Diaval joined the group hug, Philip put an arm around Audrey as they looked at the trio smiling  
Mal withdrew from the hug: "Now, what did the nicknames had to do with Diaval?"  
Aurora smiled: "He loves giving nicknames too"  
Diaval looked at Mal: "You give nicknames?"  
Mal nodded: "All the time, both Maleficent and Hades used to do it so.."  
Diaval: "What are the nicknames for those three?" he tilted his head towards the three royals  
Mal smiled: "Princess, Loudly Audrey, Princess I Can Do Whatever, Sleepy Princess, Sleepy Fashionista, for her" she indicated Audrey "For him I have: Phillie, Sleepy Phillie, Sleepy King, King Phil, Lip, for now, that's all" she pointed at Aurora "And for her I have: Rory, Rora, Sleepy Rory, Queen Rory, Queenie, Aura, Sleepy Queenie... that's all I think"  
Diaval laughed: "Well, you certainly have imagination" he looked at Aurora "You got nicknames for her?"  
Aurora: "No, for now, I don't have one" she looked at Audrey "You have one?"  
Audrey smiled and nodded: "Auntie"  
Mal looked shocked: "What?"  
Audrey: "Well, since you are practically my mother's sister you are my aunt...?" her voice full of uncertainty  
Mal looked at Aurora: "You consider me your sister?  
Aurora didn't know what to say, she looked at her husband and then at Mal, yes she did consider Mal her sister but, was it okay for Mal? She didn't want to upset the girl  
Aurora: "I kinda do"  
Mal's eyes were watering: "Really?" she never had someone to look up for, growing up on the Isle she had to take care of herself, she was the strong one of the two since Carlos had partially grow up with Hades, who actually took care of his son. What Aurora was offering her was something she had always wanted but could never ask  
Aurora: "If you don't want to, I understand it..."  
For the first time Mal wanted to hug someone, she even took a step forward but she stopped herself, _Never show your feeling_  
Mal: "I'd like that very much"  
Aurora smiled at her: "Well then, Sleepy sister"  
Mal smiled happily

* * *

Audrey and Mal were in her room, Mal was drawing at the desk while Audrey was looking for some dresses online on the bed when Audrey decided to ask Mal for advice  
Audrey: "Mal?" she moved the tablet to show it to Mal "Which dress do you think says more 'First date with the girl I like' ?"  
Mal raised an eyebrow: "Are you really asking me advice about the perfect dress for a date?"  
Audrey huffed: "You have dated girls before. I haven't. So, which one?"  
Mal: "Audrey, it doesn't matter if the date is with a girl or a boy. And the dress? You would be beautiful even in a bag of garbage"  
Audrey smiled: "Thank you, Mal"  
Mal: "That being said. Let me look at those dresses"  
Audrey laughed and gave her the tablet, Mal sat with her on the bed and looked at the dresses  
Mal: "This one" she showed Audrey her choice, when she heard someone coming she glanced up from the tablet  
Aurora knocked on the wall since the door was open: "May I come in?"  
Audrey glanced up and smiled at her mother: "Sure, we were looking for the perfect outfit for my date with Azura"  
Aurora got closer: "May I see it?"  
Audrey gave her the tablet, Aurora took it and looked at the outfits with a frown, she stopped and turned the tablet towards the girls  
Mal smiled happily: "Told you"  
Aurora: "What?"  
Audrey took the tablet from her mother's hand: "She chose the same dress"  
Aurora: "Have you talked with Azura?"  
Audrey: "Well no. I want to tell her in person, you know"  
Mal: "Seems right. But you should tell her that you want to talk to her"  
Audrey: "But won't she stress about it?"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "I'll tell Evie to tell Azura that you are..." she thought about it "Thinking about her" she smiled "This way she'll know she has a chance  
Aurora nodded: "It's a good idea"  
Mal smiled at Aurora  
Audrey: "Okay, you do that. Mom, can we go shopping tomorrow?"  
Aurora clapped her hands, looking very similar to Audrey doing so: "Yes! We could go shopping at our favorite mall, honey! All of us" she looked at Mal with hope "Mal, you have to come, we'll have so much fun"  
Mal didn't seem so excited: "Do I have to?"  
Audrey was excited just like her mother: "Yes!"  
Mal sighed: "Fine, I'll come with you"  
Aurora and Audrey wore the same delighted expressions  
Aurora: "Perfect, now, dinner is ready. Let's go"

* * *

Philip: "So, what will you girls do tomorrow?"  
Audrey: "Shopping"  
Philip: "Of course you are" he looked at Mal "And you are going too?"  
Mal sighed and shook her head: "Queenie Fashionista and Sleeping Fashionista convinced me" she looked at him "Sleepy Phillie come with us, please"  
Aurora smiled: "Yes! Philip, honey, please come!"  
Audrey: "It could be like a family trip!" she gasped "We could invite Uncle Diaval too!"  
Aurora turned to look at her together and clapped her hands together: "Yes! Oh. My. God. Audrey, it's perfect"  
In the meantime, Philip and Mal looked at each other, sighed, and shook their head  
Diaval seemed to appear out of nowhere: "Did someone say my name?"  
Mal whistled: "Cool entrance"  
Diaval winked at her  
Aurora: "Would you like a family trip tomorrow?"  
Diaval sat near Mal: "Sure, where are we going?"  
Mal and Philip huffed at the same time gaining glares from Aurora and Audrey and a bewildered look from Diaval  
Audrey: "We are going shopping"  
Diaval smiled: "Of course we are"

* * *

They were in the dressing-room, Audrey was trying on a dress while Aurora and Mal were waiting to see it  
Aurora looked at her sister: "Hey"  
Mal turned to look at her: "Hey" she smiled  
Aurora: "Why don't you go and find a cute dress for you?"  
Mal shook her head: "No money. And Evie makes all my clothes so there is no need"  
Aurora hummed: "I think that Evie would forgive me for wanting to buy something for my little sister"  
Mal looked speechless for a second, then she returned to her normal cool façade: "There is no need"  
Aurora: "I insist. When Audrey is done, we'll find something for you"  
Mal didn't know what to say, she really didn't want a dress but at the same time she didn't want to hurt Aurora's feeling, she stayed silent  
Audrey came out: "What do you think?"  
The dress was a pink pastel, with no sleeves, knee-length  
Aurora: "Beautiful"  
Mal: "You look stunning, Princess. She's gonna fall at your feet"  
Audrey blushed while Aurora laughed, the first went to change and came out again  
Audrey: "I'll buy it"  
Aurora: "Perfect. Now, it's your turn, Mal"  
Mal smiled, even she didn't really like the idea and followed Aurora and Audrey. Both found what they described as the perfect dress for Mal, she wasn't really into them but decided to at least try them on, she had actually seen a dress that she liked so she had taken it to the changing room. Aurora had called Diaval and Philip to have their opinions too  
Mal tried the first, the one Audrey had chosen, and came out, looking very uncomfortable, the others noticed  
Aurora: "You don't like it, huh?"  
Audrey: "You have to have dresses. It's the dress code for the Lady of the Court. You are going to be photographed everywhere, you need to dress properly now"  
Mal looked at Audrey, she took a step back and locked herself in the cab  
Aurora, Diaval, and Philip glared at Audrey who had the decency to look ashamed  
Audrey: "Too much?"  
Aurora shook her head, she got near the door and knocked: "Mal, can I come in?"  
Philip, Diaval, and Audrey left the dressing-room

* * *

Mal  
 _You have to have dresses. It's the dress code for the Lady of the Court. You are going to be photographed everywhere, you need to dress properly now..._  
That's what Audrey had said  
She was right  
But she couldn't do it, it wasn't her  
 _You are not enough. Ben deserves so much more_  
 _You are disappointment, yet again_  
She looked at her body, finding every single flaw so much bigger than it was. It didn't matter how many times Ben told her that he only cared for her, it didn't matter that they had True Love, she just couldn't get over her past, everyday she heard her mother's voice  
 _You need to be evil_  
 _You are a disappointment!_  
 _Nobody will care for you!_  
 _I will let Gaston have you if you don't stop being such a failure!_  
Her dark thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Aurora  
Aurora: "Mal, can I come in?"  
Mal opened the door and let Aurora enter  
Aurora sat on the floor next to her: "Hey Sleepy Sister"  
Mal smiled a little  
Aurora used her finger to lift Mal's chin: "Hey, look at me"  
Mal looked at her in the eyes  
Aurora: "You don't have to be anything else than yourself, you understand me? Audrey was educated by my mother. You weren't. You have another style, and you stick with it, okay? If you don't want to wear dresses, then you don't. You are perfect the way you are, never, and I say never, let anyone make you believe otherwise"  
Mal couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and when she felt them rolled down her face it was too late  
Aurora: "Oh honey, it's okay" she hugged her tightly, feeling Mal hold onto her for dear life "I'm here, it's okay" she kept saying reassuring words, and Mal let herself cry  
After what seemed like hours, Mal withdrew from the hug  
Aurora: "Better?"  
Mal sniffed and nodded  
Aurora looked at the dress Mal had picked: "That is an amazing dress" she looked again at her sister "I'm pretty sure Ben is going to have a heart attack when he sees it" she got up and helped Mal up too "Try it on, I'll go find more dresses like this one, okay? Trust me, no more princess-like dresses"  
Mal chuckled and nodded  
Aurora left the cab and Mal tried on the dress  
It was a black skater dress with spaghetti strap, a sweetheart neckline, on the back it had a see-through effect  
Mal came out of the cab and found there Audrey, Aurora (with some dresses), Diaval, and Philip  
They all looked stunned  
Diaval: "You are a knockout"  
The other three simply nodded, Aurora gave her the dresses and smiled  
She went back inside and tried the rest of the dresses  
She ended up buying:  
\- the short black dress  
\- a dark purple, knee-length dress, the sleeves, and neckline had a see-through effect  
\- another black dress with long sleeves, it was fitted on the torso part, from the waist down it was loose  
She really liked them and felt confident in them  
She couldn't wait to see Ben's reaction, Evie had already approved them

* * *

The next day would be Coronation Day  
To say that Ben looked nervous was an understatement, he kept pacing back and fort in his room, Mal sat on his bed  
Mal: "Ben, for Hades's sake, stop it"  
Ben: "You don't understand, I'm going to become King tomorrow"  
Mal rolled her eyes and decided to stop him from creating a hole in the floor  
Mal: "Benny Boo" she physically stopped him by putting her hands on his shoulders "Breath with me"  
They both took deep breaths  
Mal smiled: "It's going to be okay, you are not alone in this. Your parents are going to be there to help you, always. Like FG. And your friends"  
Ben nodded: "And you?"  
Mal: "I'm going to be by your side, like always"  
Ben nodded again, they sat on his bed, Mal caressed his face and her hand ended up in his hair, the other one was used to turn his face towards her  
Ben looked at her lips then at her eyes  
Mal closed the distance and kissed him  
Ben sighed in the kiss, they parted for a few seconds then he kissed her again and again  
Without noticing it, Mal laid down and Ben was almost over her, one hand on her hip while the other was used to stay just above her, Mal's right hand was in his hair and the left was moving from his shoulder to his neck. She lifted her knee, near Ben's hip and he moaned, her hands moved to his torso and were going lower  
That's when Ben stopped and got up quickly from the bed, took a few steps backward, and crushed on the sofa  
Mal, shocked, lifted herself and looked at him  
Mal: "What the hell?"  
Ben's usually combed hair was messy: "I'm sorry... I shouldn't.. we shouldn't... I mean you... I..."  
Mal moved towards him but he moved away, she stopped, hurt: "Did I do something wrong?"  
Ben shook his head: "No! I just... we were... and I.."  
Mal was confused: "I don't understand. You didn't like what we were doing?" That was the first time someone had rejected her  
Ben: "No, I did. I mean, I really liked what we were doing... like a lot... it's just I don't want... you know"  
Mal: "I actually don't know. If you liked it, why did you stop me?"  
Ben sighed: "I have never... I mean you are the first"  
Mal smiled a little: "Ben, come here"  
Ben went to her, Mal caressed his cheek, and he looked at her in the eyes, insecure  
Mal: "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do, you know that right?"  
Ben nodded  
Mal: "Come sit with me"  
They sat on the sofa  
Mal: "You don't have any kind of experience?"  
Ben shook his head  
Mal: "It's okay, you don't have to be ashamed of yourself. I don't have any experience with guys, either"  
Ben looked at her: "Yeah, but you have more knowledge about it"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "That's your parents' fault"  
Ben simply looked at her, she wasn't wrong, in Aurodan sex was a taboo  
Mal: "Listen, we are going to figure it out together, you are going to talk with your father and he will explain it to you" she shrugged "I'm going to talk with Evie" Ben was about to say something when she raised a hand "I'm not going to say anything about what happened here today"  
Ben nodded  
Mal: "You feel better?"  
Ben: "Yes... it's just... I'm afraid"  
Mal raised both her eyebrows: "You? Afraid?"  
Ben rolled his eyes: "I can be afraid"  
Mal: "Of course you can... what are you afraid of?"  
Ben: "What if you get bored of me?"  
Mal: "What do you mean?  
Ben didn't say anything but Mal understood anyway, she slapped him on the arm  
Mal: "You idiot! I would never break up with you because of your inexperience about sex. I.." she was about to say the three words but she stopped "I like you. And only you. You are my True Love"  
Ben smiled: "I like you too"  
Mal: "You better"  
They laughed, they spent the rest of the evening talking, then Mal left and Ben went to sleep smiling


	44. Coronation Day

Adam: "I can't believe it"  
Belle smiled: "I know. It seems like yesterday when we brought him home"  
Adam looked at his wife: "Thank you"  
Belle looked at him, curious: "Why are you thanking me?"  
Adam: "For this life. For loving me, for Ben. For giving me a chance"  
Belle smiled sweetly: "Oh honey" she cupped his cheek "I love you"  
Adam: "I love you"  
A man with blue hair behind them: "Well, aren't you two adorable?"

* * *

 _A week earlier on the Isle_  
Hades was sitting on the couch thinking about his children  
Hades: "That evil witch"  
Grimhilde: "What have I done this time?"  
Hades turned to look at her: "You know who I was talking about"  
Grimhilde sighed: "They will be okay, didn't you listen?"  
Hades got up: "Yes, I did. But that doesn't mean that she isn't an evil witch"  
They were in Grimhilde and Jafar's house. Hades had been there a lot in the last few weeks since the kids had come 'visit', Mal had left there the mirror so that Grimhilde could communicate with FG if needed  
When the headmistress had called her old friend to tell her about what had happened to Mal and Carlos, Grimhilde had sent Jafar to find Hades, from that moment Hades had gone there at least 4 times a week  
Grimhilde had offered a room for him to stay the night, but he had refused  
Jafar came into the room: "What did my wife do this time?"  
Grimhilde glared playfully at him  
Hades rolled his eyes: "Maleficent. We have to do something"  
Grimhilde: "Like what? She is in prison for life. Cruella is on the psychiatric side of it. It's done"  
Hades shook his head: "She deserves a punishment more severe than prison"  
Jafar frowned: "If you think like that the Reformed Part is going to act"  
Hades sighed: "I know"  
Grimhilde: "We could..." but she was interrupted by the mirror, she ran to it eager to see her friend "Annabel?"  
FG smiled: "Grim"  
Grimhilde smiled too: "Hey"  
FG: "Ben needs to talk to you. Is Hades there?"  
The two men, having heard, went near Grimhilde  
Hades: "What does Baby Beast need?"  
Ben appeared with his usual smile: "Hello there, I have wonderful news"  
Hades rolled his eyes: "Go on"  
Ben: "You three are officially invited to stay in Auradon for a few days" he looked at Hades "Unfortunately only Grimhilde and Jafar will be able to stay here indefinitely"  
The three adults were shocked  
Jafar: "We get to stay there forever?"  
Ben nodded: "You two are the first couple of former villains that will participate in this program" he sighed "If all goes well, more people will be able to come here, if they want" he smiled "With Mal, we have a plan to improve the life condition of the Isle so that it will be more... comfortable. At least for those who are good" he seemed to think about what he had said "Or are better then before, anyway"  
Grimhilde was crying  
Hades: "I imagine that your father isn't really happy about this"  
Ben: "At first, he wasn't. But he is the one that helped me with the documents to initiate the program" he looked at the couple "Are you in?"  
Jafar smiled: "Yes"  
Ben nodded, then looked at Hades: "Do you want to come for a few days?"  
Hades shrugged: "Sure" he managed to keep the cool façade  
Ben: "Perfect. A limousine will come to get you in a week"  
The boy left and FG reappeared  
FG: "Are you happy Grim?"  
Grimhilde: "Oh Annabel! I can't wait to see you again!"  
FG's smile got wider: "Me too, my friend"  
Jafar and Hades left the two women to talk  
 _A week later_  
Hades, Jafar, and Grimhilde were near the bridge waiting for the limousine  
Hades: "Maybe it was a joke"  
Jafar and Grimhilde glared at him  
Jafar: "Stop it"  
They heard a weird noise and looked at the barrier, there was a car approaching  
Grimhilde smiled: "We are going to Auradon"

* * *

Ben was ready, he was going to be a King  
At seventeen years old  
It was going to be a disaster, he just knew it  
Someone knocked at the door, he went to open it  
There she was, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen  
Purple hair, fair skin, emerald green eyes, a lavender long dress, with long sleeves, the sleeves and neckline had a see-through effect, the dress was fitted on the torso but from the waistband down it got looser, a pair of high heels boot was at her feet, she had very little makeup, her long hair was in a loose braid  
Mal smiled at him: "Hey handsome"  
Ben was speechless: "How did I get so lucky?"  
Her smile turned into her usual wicked smirk and she winked at him, she offered her hand, he took it (it was cold, like always) and they left to go towards the hall  
Every student was already at the Cathedral where the Coronation took place  
They had to go there with the carriage that was waiting for them in the garden of the school  
Ben and Mal got in  
Mal turned to look at him: "Ready?"  
Ben: "Sure"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "It's only a formality. You got this. We'll live it day by day, and we'll figure it out together, okay?"  
Ben smiled at her: "With you? I can do everything"  
Mal laughed: "Of course you can, Prince Handsome"  
Ben smirked playfully: "I'm about to be King, actually"  
Mal: "That's the spirit, Benny Boo"  
The ride to the Cathedral seemed to last forever  
But they made it in time  
Ben and Mal got out of the carriage and did the staircase, when they arrived in front of the door there found Belle and Adam  
Adam: "Son"  
Ben: "Father"  
Adam hugged his son: "I'm proud of you, you are becoming a man"  
Ben smiled and withdrew: "Thanks dad"  
Belle was already crying  
Ben: "Mom"  
Belle: "Oh honey!" she hugged her son "You grew up so fast!"  
Ben laughed  
A guard informed them that it was time to go  
Mal, Belle, and Adam entered from the side entrance  
Ben prepared himself and then he entered from the main entrance

* * *

He was in front of FG and his parents, on his knees  
He could feel Mal's presence in his head, FG had said that their connection would get stronger, and now he could feel her calming thoughts, not in words though  
FG: "Benjamin Florian, do you solemnly swear to guide your kingdom with responsibility and kindness into years of peace and stability?"  
Ben: "I do solemnly swear"  
FG smiled, clearly moved: "Then, with the power I possess I proclaim you, Benjamin Florian, born on 1 December of 1998 son of the former Rulers Adam the Beast and Belle, King of the United States of Auradon" she put the crown on his head and touched it with her wand  
The crowd applauded, someone even screamed  
Ben got up and turned to look at his people, he found Mal near their friends  
She was smiling proudly, her eyes were sparkling  
He smiled  
FG: "Now please welcome Mal Of The Isle, born on 15 July 1999 daughter of Hades and Maleficent, your Lady Of The Court"  
Mal went to stay at Ben's left side, she did the reverence while he bowed, then both turned and smiled at the crowd that started applauding even louder than before  
Mal: "You did it"  
Ben: "We did it" he grabbed her hand and together they left the Cathedral

* * *

The party continued in the garden of the school  
Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Mal were with Doug, Lonnie, Jane, Audrey, and Chad near the dance floor when they heard a man's voice  
Hades: "Beautiful night, huh?"  
They all turned around, half of them shocked while the other half stood frozen on the spot in fear  
Carlos: "Dad?"  
Hades smiled: "Hey kiddo"  
Carlos ran towards his father, Evie and Jay ran to their parents and they hugged them  
Jane and Mal stayed where they were, Jane because she didn't know what to do, Mal because she was too cool for this kind of stuff  
Mal raised an eyebrow: "I suppose my boyfriend has nothing to do with your presence here, Father"  
Hades smiled at his daughter: "He really doesn't"  
Mal smiled, she was happy to see him and nodded  
Grimhilde and Jafar hugged Jane, Hades simply shook her hand, then the former villains looked at the other teens that were still frozen  
Hades: "Are they statues?"  
Mal: "Nah... they are scared of you"  
Lonnie was the first to recover, then followed Audrey, Doug, and last Chad  
Lonnie: "Sorry, but you know, we grew up hearing all those stories about you... it's... weird seeing you here. In Auradon"  
The vks chuckled  
Evie: "They won't hurt you" she went near Doug and took his hand "Mom, Dad, this is Doug. My boyfriend"  
Doug blushed, Grimhilde and Jafar smiled and shook hands with him  
Jafar: "So Doug"  
Doug looked at him: "Yes?"  
Jafar seemed really curious: "Will you explain to me this intranet thing?"  
Doug seemed surprised: "Uhm I believe you meant internet, sir?"  
Grimhilde and Jafar listened to him while he explained it  
Jafar nodded: "Nice one, Evie"  
Evie rolled her eyes  
Jay grabbed Lonnie and brought her in front of his parents and smiled: "She is Lonnie, my girlfriend. She is very good at fencing"  
Lonnie waved  
Grimhilde: "Are you the daughter of Mulan?"  
Lonnie: "Yes, you know the story?"  
Jafar laughed: "Know it? Your mother is a legend on the Isle. Mal and Uma grew up to be like her"  
Mal nodded  
Ben arrived: "Hey, you made it"  
Hades: "Hello, King Junior"  
Diaval: "Definitely your father, Mallie"  
Hades looked at the man up and down: "Are you Diaval?"  
Diaval nodded: "The one and only"  
Mal: "Father, you should meet Aurora and Philip" she turned towards Audrey and pointed at her "Her parents"  
Hades: "Sure"  
Mal: "Audrey! Can you call Rora and Phillie?"  
Audrey: "Sure, I'll go grab them"  
She came back with them, FG, Belle, and Adam were with them, followed by Snow White and Ferdinand, Aladdin and Jasmine, Hercules and Megara  
The adults talked, apologies were made, forgive was given. The teens danced and had a good time  
But eventually, the night came to an end  
The students and the adults went back home since the week that followed the Coronation was considered Holiday  
FG had made two special bracelets for Hades and Grimhilde, they acted like the barrier around the Isle  
Grimhilde, Jafar, and Hades went back to the Castle with the vks, Ben, Belle, and Adam

* * *

Mal and Ben were in the garden while the others were in the living room, probably talking, the couple had changed into more comfortable clothes and went outside, they were laying on the grass looking at the stars  
It had been Mal's idea  
Mal: "How do you feel?"  
Ben: "You were right, it was just a formality"  
Mal scoffed: "Of course I was right. But you didn't answer"  
Ben smiled: "A bit nervous"  
Mal turned her face to look at him: "Why?"  
Ben: "They will expect so much..." he turned to look at her "I mean, I have to live up to my people's expectations, I'm King now. No more mistakes. I have to be perfect"  
Mal: "That's stupid"  
Ben scowled  
Mal: "Let me explain"  
Ben: "Go on"  
Mal rolled on her side: "You don't have to be perfect, your father hasn't been a perfect King. He has done mistakes. You have to do your best for your people, sure, but perfect?" she shook her head "Nobody is perfect. And those who expect you to be the perfect King, well you can tell to come to me and I will kindly explain to them where to put those expectations and show them the way to Hell. You are human, of course, you will do mistakes... but it's normal"  
Ben smiled: "Mal, I'm about to say something. You don't have to say it back, but I want you to hear it, is that okay?"  
Mal knew what he wanted to say, she was ready to hear it but not to say it, she nodded  
Ben: "I love you"  
Mal smiled, she couldn't help it and blushed  
Ben: "You okay?"  
Mal: "Yes... but I'm not ready yet"  
Ben: "It's ok. I can wait"  
Mal kissed him, she withdrew, she caressed his face and looked at his eyes and then kissed him again  
Ben responded with equal passion, one hand went through her hair while he used the other to moved them so that he was almost on top of her, Mal moved happily, one hand was running through his hair while the other was on his lower back to keep him close  
Ben stopped and withdrew a little to look at her  
Her hair formed a circle around her head, her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks were colored of beautiful pink, her lips were red like the roses of his mother's garden, her breath was uneven  
Mal smiled: "What?"  
Ben caressed her face: "You are beautiful"  
Mal smile got wider, she brought his head down to kiss him again, they lost themselves again in each other  
Without noticing Mal's leg went up, Ben's hand ran down her side and stopped at her hip, Mal scratched his cheek lightly and bit his lip  
Ben withdrew again, his breath uneven like hers: "We should stop"  
Mal nodded: "I know..." she could feel him, he was enjoying this "Even though someone is really enjoying himself" she smirked playfully  
Ben seemed lost for a second, then he blushed and rolled on his back: "I don't know what you are talking about"  
Mal chuckled: "I was joking. You don't have to be ashamed of it. It's normal" she looked at the sky than at him again "You okay?"  
Ben nodded: "I just... don't know how to... check my emotions"  
Mal: "Well I do it very well. But what we were doing..." she sat up "Ben, you don't have to check your emotions with me... remember when we were children? Remember that night? In the dream? I let you in, I told you something I had never said to anyone, not even out loud for me to hear it. I didn't check my emotion with you"  
Ben: "I remember"

* * *

_Mal still couldn't get over what she had seen that night. The girl had just let the Isle kill her._   
_She didn't even try to survive. It had been 3 winters now. Maybe she should do that too, her mother wouldn't miss her, and her brother... he had his father he would be ok_   
_Ben was walking around the Isle, looking for Mal when he heard a noise from the corner_   
_Ben: "Mal! Hey, I was looking for you" he smiled_   
_Mal: "Why?"_   
_Ben got closer: "What's wrong?"_   
_Mal looked at him coldly: "Why were you looking for me?"_   
_Ben: "I... I don't know.. to talk? I mean we usually meet somewhere and talk, or fight. Depends on your mood" he tried to make a joke_   
_Mal simply raised an eyebrow at him_   
_Ben: "Not in the mood, huh"_   
_Mal pointed at the center of the street: "There. She died right there, 3 winters ago"_   
_Ben: "You mean 3 years ago"_   
_Mal: "Whatever"_   
_Ben: "Who died?"_   
_Mal: "I don't know who she was. I was five years old and I was going back home... it was about to rain but I heard something. A man and a woman... I couldn't do anything to help her... I just watched while he raped her... at first she fought but then... when he finished he left. She stayed there... I got closer and I told her to got up... she didn't. She asked for my knife... I gave it to her and she killed herself... then it started raining, I stayed and watched... I don't why but I felt someone had to. When it stopped, she was ashes"_   
_Ben was shocked_   
_Mal: "Ever since... I've been asking myself the same question"_   
_Ben: "Which is?"_   
_Mal: "Why am I still alive?"_   
_Ben looked at her, she was 8 years old, and yet she was more mature than he was. He was 9 years old. They had been dreaming together for a year now. The daughter of Maleficent, at 8 years old was wondering why she was alive_   
_Ben: "Because you want to live"_   
_Mal: "See, that is just it... do I really want to?"_   
_Ben: "Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?"_   
_Mal scoffed and got up: "Are you serious right now? I live on Isle full of villains just because I was born, Mother hates me, beats me... almost kills me. My brother is with Father most of the time. I got nobody"_   
_Ben: "You have me. Mal" she looked at him "I promise, you will always have me, I will always come back to you"_   
_Mal: "Really, you promise?" she looked so childish right now_   
_Ben nodded and stretched his hand, she looked at it and shook it_   
_Mal: "Okay, until you'll show up for me I'll live"_   
_Ben smiled: "Forever then"_   
_Mal smiled too: "Well... seeing who my father is I guess so"_

* * *

Mal: "From that moment on, I knew I had someone that I could trust. You can trust me, with who you are and with your emotions"  
Ben: "It's been a long ride, huh. I can't believe you thought you didn't want to live"  
Mal smiled and looked around: "Yeah, it has been... remember the first time?"  
They both laughed

* * *

_Ben was dreaming of a weird place, it was a white room with no door or windows, and then he saw someone else approaching and the room changed. As the figure got closer the room got colored._   
_There she was, a little girl with long purple hair_   
_Mal asked coldly: "Who are you?"_   
_Ben: "I'm Ben. And who are you?"_   
_Mal snorted and said mockingly: "I'm not telling my name to a stranger" she looked around_   
_Ben: "Hey! I told you mine, and you are a stranger to me"_   
_Mal: "Yeah well, not my fault if you are dumb"_   
_Ben frowned: "I'm not dumb, I'm polite. It's not nice to insult people, you shouldn't do it"_   
_Mal: "Nice? Polite? Who the hell are your parents and why are they raising you to be good?"_   
_Ben: "They are raising me to be a good person because that is the right thing to do. Here in Auradon, we appreciate good people"_   
_Mal took a step back, horrified: "Auradon? Why am I dreaming of someone from Auradon?"_   
_Ben was confused: "You aren't from Auradon?"_   
_Mal shook her head_   
_Ben looked at her: she had purple hair and he had never seen a girl with that hair in Auradon, her clothes were dirty and seemed old, Audrey would have probably screamed seeing those clothes, she was short and very skinny, her skin was pale but she had dirt all over herself, she had a few bruises and a cut on her cheek, her eyes were a bright green_   
_Ben noticed how shorter she was than him: "You are so short"_   
_Mal: "I'm not short!"_   
_Ben raised an eyebrow: "So you don't like being insulted" she raised an eyebrow too, looking mad "Why do you look like this?"_   
_Mal sighed and looked down at herself, she shrugged: "Where I came from, all kids look like this"_   
_Ben: "Where are you from?"_   
_Mal: "The Isle"_   
_Ben looked horrified: "Why are children there?"_   
_Mal raised an eyebrow: "Because the adults have sex?"_   
_Ben gasped, looked around, and then whispered: "You are too little to talk about that"_   
_Mal whispered too: "Why are you whispering? We are dreaming"_   
_Ben and Mal looked at each other for a second and smiled_   
_Mal: "My name is Mal"_   
_Ben stretched his hand but Mal simply looked at it_   
_Mal: "Whatcha doing with that hand?"_   
_Ben: "When you meet someone new, you shook hands" he dropped the hand_   
_Mal: "Not on the Isle"_   
_Ben was curious: "What do you do when you meet someone new?"_   
_Mal smirked, her eyes glowed, she took a step closer to him and pushed him, he fell backward right into a puddle_   
_Ben pouted: "Hey! Not nice"_   
_Mal started laughing hysterically_   
_Ben: "Why are you laughing?"_   
_Mal stopped immediately: "I was laughing?"_   
_Ben got up: "Well yeah"_   
_Mal looked scared: "Oh no! If Mother finds out, I'm dead. Don't tell anyone! I'm not supposed to laugh"_   
_Ben: "Why not?"_   
_Mal: "Don't know. I never asked her"_   
_Ben: "Well, we are dreaming so she won't find out"_   
_Mal shook her head and looked around: "Where are we anyway?"_   
_Ben: "Don't know. I woke up here and the room was completely white, then you came and it got colorful..."_   
_Mal frowned_   
_Ben: "What?"_   
_Mal: "That isn't exactly what happened"_   
_Ben: "Well, we are two different people. Your dream may have started differently. What happened?"_   
_Mal: "I woke up in a dark room, something which I'm used to.. then I felt like I needed to walk and I saw a figure, it had a white auria around it..."_   
_Ben interrupted her with a smile: "You mean aura"_   
_Mal scowled: "Whatever. So I got closer and then the more close I got to the figure the more I could see the room. You are the figure I saw, now I can see the room, the walls are colored for me too"_   
_Ben: "Weird..."_   
_Mal: "Yeah... I have never had a dream before"_   
_Ben: "Never?"_   
_Mal shook her head: "You have?"_   
_Ben: "Well yeah. Like every night"_   
_Mal: "I wonder what life is like in Auradon" she sat down "Come on, tell me, Little Prince"_   
_Ben blushed, she was a really cute girl and she wanted to talk to him, and she had called him Prince... he was a Prince, but for her to say it, it felt different even if Ben didn't know why, so he sat down_   
_Ben: "What do you want to know?"_   
_Mal: "Don't know, tell me your favorite thing about Auradon"_   
_Ben: "Snow"_   
_Mal: "What's that?"_   
_Ben raised both eyebrows in surprise: "You don't have snow on the Isle?"_   
_Mal shook her head: "The dome"_   
_Ben: "Oh right" he was upset, he didn't understand why she was on the Isle in the first place but knowing she had never seen the snow..._   
_Mal: "Well go on, what is it like?"_   
_Ben: "It's cold. And white, it falls from the sky. I like it because every year, on my birthday it snows... and it's like a gift from the sky"_   
_Mal was confused again: "Birth...day?"_   
_And they went on to talk for what seemed like hours when they woke up both kids went to the window of their room and looked over the horizon_   
_Ben looked at the Isle and smiled: "Mal of the Isle"_   
_Mal looked at Auradon: "I wonder if you are real, Little Prince"_

* * *

Ben: "You were so cute"  
Mal slapped him on the arm: "Stop it"  
Ben looked at the stars: "I can't believe you are actually real"  
Mal laughed: "I've been here for 4 months and you still can't believe it?"  
Ben: "You are too good to be true"  
Mal smiled and bent down to be over him, she stopped at an inch of distance from his lips: "Compliments will get you nowhere, King Benny Boo"  
Ben: "I respectably disagree. Compliments got me closer to you"  
Mal closed the distance, Ben let her stay on the top, so they kissed for a while then Mal stopped  
Mal: "Do you trust me?"  
Ben nodded  
Mal: "I swear I won't push you, I just... want to try something. If you want me to stop, you tell me, okay?"  
Ben nodded  
Mal: "I need you to say it"  
Ben smiled: "Yes, I give you permission"  
Mal nodded, she kissed him on the lips again, then kissed both his cheeks, she started kissing his neck, she went up to his ear and bit his earlobe  
Ben sighed and moaned, one hand was gripping the grass while the other was on Mal's lower back  
Mal whispered near his ear sending a shiver down his neck and back: "Everything all right?"  
Ben: "Yes"  
Mal smiled, then kissed his neck again, she made a line of kisses along with his adam's apple, his lips, then she stopped and sat again and waited for him to regain his composure  
Ben's eyes were closed, he was breathing heavily  
Ben: "Woah"  
Mal: "You liked that?"  
Ben: "Very" he sat too  
Mal smiled: "Good"  
Ben: "We should go back inside"  
Mal sighed: "Yeah, let's go before your dad calls the guards"  
Ben snorted: "He wouldn't... yeah okay, he would call the guards"  
They got up, Ben took Mal's hand and they went inside the Castle

* * *

In the living room, everyone was still talking  
Jay: "Hey guys, we were worried you got kidnapped or something" he smirked  
Mal laughed while Ben blushed  
Hades got up: "I don't think we have been formally introduced. I'm Hades, Mal's father"  
Ben smiled and stretched out his hand: "Hello, I'm Ben, Mal's boyfriend"  
Hades looked surprised: "You aren't afraid of me"  
Ben: "Not at all"  
Hades raised an eyebrow: "May I ask why?"  
Ben: "Oh well, I have a few reasons. I've known Mal for half of my life, she is my true love and soulmate, we have met in dreams. She is half God and half magic, so you see from my point of view she is more powerful than you are. So if I ever hurt her, I'm pretty sure she would be able to make me pay for it by herself, she doesn't need anybody else. And the last reason is: if you hurt me... well you hurt her, and you would never do that"  
Everyone, but Mal, was surprised to hear Ben talk like that to the God of Hell  
Hades: "Well, it seems like you have thought of it all"  
Ben shrugged and Mal smiled at him  
Jay: "I have more respect for you than I ever did Benny Boo"  
Carlos nodded and Evie gave him a thumbs up  
Mrs. Potts: "Someone became worthy of a certain vk girlfriend, apparently"  
Mal turned to her left and saw Mrs. Potts, her smile got wider: "Mrs. Potts!" she ran towards the woman and hugged her  
The room fell silent, for the first time Mal had initiated a hug  
Mrs. Potts: "Hello dear. I've missed you"  
Mal: "I've missed you more!"  
Hades's mouth was open in shock  
Jafar used his left hand to close it: "You will catch a toad, close your mouth"  
Hades shook his head: "Mal? Who is that woman?"  
Mal withdrew from the hug but didn't let go of the old woman: "This woman is an angel, her name is Mrs. Potts. She is my favorite human"  
Mrs. Potts laughed: "Oh darling, I'm no angel" she looked at Hades "You are Hades, I suppose. A pleasure to meet you"  
Hades smiled and bowed his head lightly: "The pleasure is mine. I don't usually like humans, but my daughter seems to find you worthy of her time... which is extremely rare"  
Mrs. Potts looked at Mal and rubbed her arm: "This here is one of the kindest souls I have ever met. Mal is really something else"  
Hades looked at his daughter: "She is"  
Ben: "Uhm excuse me? If she is your favorite human, what am I?"  
Mal hummed: "You are my favorite true love"  
Ben gasped: "You only have one!"  
Everyone laughed  
Belle smiled: "Ok, it's bedtime. Kids, you know where to go" she turned to look at Grimhilde and Jafar "Lumiere will see you to your room" she looked at Hades "Adam and I will accompany you"  
Evie and Jay hugged their parents, Carlos hugged his father while Mal simply nodded towards him  
Then they all went to their rooms to sleep

* * *

 _A few hours earlier_  
Hades: "Well, aren't you two adorable?"  
Adam and Belle looked behind them and saw Hades, Jafar, and Grimhilde surrounded by guards  
FG: "Grim!"  
The two women ran to each other and hugged between sobs. Jafar smiled  
Adam and Belle got closer to the group  
Adam: "You arrived just in time for the party"  
Hades: "Cool, love a good party. Where is the alcohol?"  
Belle: "No alcohol here. Sorry to disappoint"  
Hades looked actually offended: "What do you mean? What kind of party is this?"  
Adam: "There are children here. We don't allow kids to drink alcohol"  
Hades now was angry: "And that what is suppose to mean?"  
Adam: "Nothing"  
Hades' hair was on fire: "You know why the kids on the Isle drink alcohol? To forget the trauma they have to endure for your stupid decision"  
Jafar held back his friend: "Hades, stop it. They expect exactly this behavior from us"  
Hades smiled evilly: "Oh I know. That is why he allowed us to come. So that everyone can see that we are still evil, that way our kids will be sent back with us"  
Adam looked taken aback  
Belle: "He wouldn't do something like that"  
Hades: "Sure about that? He left thousands to die for 20 years"  
Belle turned to look at her husband: "You didn't"  
Adam looked at his wife: "Belle, I helped Ben because I think he is right, some of them can become good people but... we have to be careful"  
Belle took a step away from him  
Adam: "I don't want the kids to be sent back, I care for them"  
Belle sighed and nodded  
Hades scoffed but didn't say anything else  
Belle looked at him and smiled: "Mal told me that you like to read?"  
Hades was taken aback by this: "Mal? She talked about me?"  
Belle nodded, she could hear the love Hades felt for his daughter: "Yes, she told me she took that after you. You like Shakespeare, right? But your favorite book is the 'Divina Commedia' by Dante"  
Hades smiled: "Yes, it's right. She told me that I would get along with you, Your Majesty"  
Yet again, Belle had the respect of someone from the Isle while Adam just got the hate  
Belle smiled: "You can call me Belle" she offered her hand to shake  
Hades got closer, took her hand, and kissed the back of it with a bow: "And you can call me Hades"  
Adam scoffed: "What am I suppose to call you?"  
Hades glared at him: "You, Beast, can call me Sir"  
Adam rolled his eyes  
FG and Grimhilde in the meantime had calmed down enough to separate from each other  
FG: "Go find your kids. But put on these bracelets" they will act like the barrier" she gave them to Grimhilde and Hades that wore them and left to find their children

* * *

 _In Ben's room_  
Evie: "Now what?"  
Mal yawned: "Now we sleep Blue. I'm super tired"  
Carlos yawned and nodded  
Ben, Evie, and Jay laughed at the twins  
They all changed into their pajamas  
Carlos and Mal magically enlarged the bed so that they all could sleep in it  
From the left side, they were in this order: Ben, Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay  
Mal and Carlos were sleeping facing each other, Ben was sleeping facing the ceiling, Evie was facing Carlos, and Jay was facing the door  
They slept through the night  
The morning came and when Evie, Jay, and Ben woke up, Mal and Carlos were nowhere to be seen  
Ben: "Where are they?"  
Evie: "Don't worry. I'm sure they are here somewhere"

* * *

Mal and Carlos at 4 a.m. woke up. They were laying on the bed, still facing each other  
Carlos: "You miss him?"  
Mal whispered: "Everyday"  
Carlos smiled: "You wanna go bake now?  
Mal nodded. It had been almost two months, Eddie had died almost two months ago. The twins got out of bed, changed, and left the room. They went downstairs and entered the kitchen and started baking and lost track of time  
It had been a while since the twins had spent some time alone together  
They sat down and started eating one of the cakes  
Mal: "It's perfect...but I will always prefer your Rotten Apple pie"  
Carlos: "And I prefer your Moldy Pear Cake"  
It was 8 a.m. now, they heard Mrs. Potts coming into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, they stay where they were  
Mrs. Potts entered the room and was surprised to see them on the floor, eating  
Mrs. Potts: "What are you two little rascals doing here this early?"  
Carlos smiled: "Well, dear Mrs. Potts, we woke up at 4 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep so we decided to bake some pies. Remember that Mal told you about my Rotten Apple pie? We made some... but with your ingredients"  
Mrs. Potts smiled but noticed that Mal seemed a little under the weather: "Mal, honey? You all right?"  
Mal's smile didn't reach her eyes and Mrs. Potts could see the sadness in her eyes  
Mal: "Sure, Mrs. Potts. Just a little nostalgic"  
Carlos looked at her sister and held her hand  
Mrs. Potts let the matter drop: "So, can I try those pies?"  
The twins nodded, Carlos got up and cut a slice of the Apple Pie and the Pear Cake for the woman  
Mrs. Potts tried them and was surprised: "Oh my God! They are delicious!" she looked at the banter where there were at least 7 pies "You made them all?"  
Mal: "Yeah. We baked for like 2 hours"  
Mrs. Potts shook her head: "Honey, you baked for 4 hours. It's 8 a.m."  
Both the twins were surprised  
Lumiere entered the kitchen: "Lady Mal? Carlos? What are you doing here?"  
Mal was completely shocked: "I'm sorry" she shook her head "How did you call me?"  
Lumiere smiled at the young girl: "Lady Mal. Since yesterday you were presented as the Lady Of The Court"  
Mal winced: "Please, I beg of you, just call me Mal"  
Lumiere and Mrs. Potts laughed  
Lumiere: "As you wish. Mal, Carlos, why are you here this early?"  
Mal: "Couldn't sleep. So at 4 a.m. we came here to bake" she pointed at the 7 pies that were on the banter  
Lumiere: "I'm sorry, did you say 4 a.m.?"  
The twins nodded  
Lumiere sighed and shook his head: "Well, I suppose we have breakfast ready, don't we Mrs. Potts?"  
Mrs. Potts: "We do, and these pies... oh Lumiere, they are delicious"  
Lumiere: "Can I try one?"  
The twins nodded  
Lumiere tried the Pear Cake: "Oh, mon Dieu! This is one of the best pies I have ever had"  
Mal smiled proudly  
Carlos pouted a little: "Try mine too"  
Lumiere smiled and tried the Apple Pie: "This is amazing"  
Carlos smiled proudly like his sister  
Chip came in the kitchen, and like Mrs. Potts and Lumiere tried the pies and was surprised too


	45. Dates

On Monday, after the weekend at Auroria  
Mal and Audrey were walking down the hallway, heading towards the History class  
Mal: "You just have to go and talk to her, she won't bite you"  
Audrey: "Easy for you to say. You are you... I'm..."  
Mal rolled her eyes and stopped Audrey: "Princess, she likes you. You like her. Evie already told her that you are thinking about her liking you. All you have to do is tell her how you feel"  
Audrey: "I don't see you go around and say how much you love Ben"  
Mal glared at her: "Careful Princess, I may have decided that I'm good but it doesn't mean I can't mess with your pretty face"  
Audrey sighed: "Sorry"  
Mal heard Azura talking to someone: "She is right there. Go now" she tilted her head toward the girl  
Audrey: "Now?"  
Mal: "Yes now. Go on, get the girl"  
Audrey took a deep breath and nodded, she walked towards Azura  
Audrey: "Hey Azura, can I talk to you for a second?"  
Azura smiled: "Sure, Audrey"  
Audrey smiled too: "Listen, I've been thinking about.. us... and.."  
Azura's smile dropped: "It's okay, I understand"  
Audrey was surprised: "What? What do you understand?"  
Azura: "You don't like me. It's okay, really. Let's just.. pretend nothing happened, all right?" she made to leave  
Audrey: "No wait! I like you!" she didn't intend to be so loud, but she actually yelled it  
Everyone around them looked at them, Mal chuckled, Carlos had arrived near her and smiled  
Azura looked at her, surprised: "You do?"  
Audrey blushed: "Yes, I do"  
Azura smiled: "And you would like to go on a date with me?"  
Audrey: "Yeah, I kind of already bought a dress for it..."  
Azura laughed: "Of course you did"  
Audrey: "So..."  
Azura: "Audrey, would you like to go on a date with me on Friday?"  
Audrey: "I'd love to"  
Azura: "Perfect" and she left  
Mal got closer to Audrey: "You did it"  
Audrey turned around: "We are going on a date"  
Mal chuckled: "I heard"  
Carlos: "Congratulations Mini Queenie"  
Audrey jumped and clapped her hands: "Oh I'm so happy!"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "Come on, let's go"  
They went to class

* * *

 _Ben and Mal's date_  
 _Wednesday,_ _5-30 p.m._  
Mal and Evie ran into their room  
Evie: "Go take a shower, I'll prepare the outfit and think of the make up"  
Mal went in the bathroom and took a shower, she had just finished Tourney practice  
Ben and she were going out for dinner, she and Evie had planned already the outfit, she was going to wear the short black skater dress that had spaghetti straps, a sweetheart neckline, and a see-through effect on the back  
She got out of the bathroom, Evie had put the dress on her bed, the desk was full of accessories for hair and make up  
Evie: "Put on the dress" she looked at the desk "I was thinking a side braid and for the make up... eyeliner, mascara, blush, and... a Malabar oxblood lipstick, what do you think?"  
Mal: "I like it, help me with the zip?"  
Evie closed the zip, Mal sat at the desk and Evie started combing her hair and braiding it  
Once the braid was done, Evie started with the make up  
Mal: "Should I put on tights?"  
Evie hummed in thinking: "Knee-length socks?"  
Mal: "Love it... and those dark purple wedges Aurora bought me"  
Evie nodded, half an hour later she had finished: "Done"  
Mal got up, she put on the socks and the wedges: "So?"  
Evie looked her carefully, then she smiled and clapped her hands: "It's perfect!"  
Mal smiled, she looked at the clock  
It was 6-8 p.m.  
Mal: "I have to go now"  
Evie: "Ben is going to have a heart attack when he sees you"  
Mal laughed: "I hope he survives"  
She left the room, she felt everyone look at her and she smiled, she got out of the school  
Ben was near the statue of his father and he was facing the limousine  
Mal arrived and cleared her throat to let him know she was there  
He turned around and was about to say hi when he looked at her, he was rendered speechless  
Mal smiled: "Hi Ben"  
Ben: "Uhmmm"  
Mal chuckled, Chip came to help the future King  
Chip: "Hello Mal, you look stunning tonight"  
Mal smiled at him: "Thank you, Chip" she looked at Ben who shook his head to try and clear his mind  
Ben: "Mal, you... hmm... You are beautiful"  
Mal blushed a little: "Thank you, Ben"  
They went inside the car and left for the restaurant  
They had just sat at their table when Ben seemed to recover completely  
Ben smiled: "You are really gorgeous, Mal"  
Mal smiled but then she heard what a group of women was saying  
- _Did you see her dress?_  
• _Yes! Oh my God... it's so revealing, she is so inadequate_  
~︎ _She will never be a good Queen..._  
Ben had heard too and was now trying to control his anger  
Mal took his hand, the one that was gripping the knife: "Hey"  
Ben looked at her, with those puppy's eyes  
Mal smiled a little: "It's ok"  
Ben: "No, it's not. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. They just won't admit it because they are jealous"  
Mal chuckled: "Like you said that day.."  
Ben smiled  
The rest of the date was amazing, they ate their dinner, some kids recognized them and asked for some photos together  
Mal took a step back  
The little girl that had just asked for the photo: "You don't want to take a photo with me?" she was pouting  
Mal looked surprised: "You want to take a photo with me?"  
The little girl: "Yeah, you are super cool"  
Ben chuckled and Mal smiled truly happy  
Mal: "Thank you, I'd be very happy to take a photo with you"  
The little girl: "My name is Avril, my daddy told me a lot about you"  
Mal knelt to be at the same height as Avril: "Who is he?"  
Avril: "Hercules"  
Mal was shocked, she looked at Ben who nodded encouragingly  
Mal: "Well then... let's take these photos"  
Avril put herself between Mal and Ben and called for her mom  
A beautiful woman arrived and was surprised to see who her daughter was with  
Avril: "Take a photo"  
Megara: "Did you ask politely?"  
Avril nodded: "Yes mommy"  
Megara looked at Mal and then at Ben to get a confirmation, when both nodded she took her phone and took the photo, Mal and Ben got up  
Avril: "Miss Mal, can I have one photo just with you?"  
Mal: "Only if you call me Mal or a nickname that you like"  
Avril smiled happily and nodded: "Ok, Mal"  
Mal nodded and was about to kneel, but Avril had another idea  
Avril: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Yes, Avril?"  
Avril: "Would you mind if we take this photo differently?"  
Mal ruffled the little girl's hair: "How?"  
Avril: "Could you pick me up?"  
Mal looked at Megara, that nodded. She was surprised to see them trust her so much  
Mal: "Uhm.. sure" she looked at Ben, that also took his phone and went near Megara  
Mal picked up Avril, who hugged her by the neck, they turned towards the two phones and smiled, Megara and Ben showed Avril the photo, she liked it  
Avril: "Thank you, Mal"  
Mal: "Of course, little princess"  
Avril smiled: "Yei! You gave me a nickname!"  
Mal laughed  
Megara smiled sweetly seeing her daughter so happy, she turned to Ben: "I have never seen Avril smile like that"  
Ben looked at the two girls, Mal was sixteen while Avril was seven but at that moment he could see the child that lived in Mal since she never had a childhood: "Yeah, I think that they are kindred spirits"  
Megara: "Avril, we should leave them to their date"  
Avril pouted and Mal's smile dropped a little  
Ben: "Where were you going?"  
Megara: "Avril wanted to go to the Theme Park"  
Mal: "What's that?"  
Avril gasped, she was still in Mal's arms: "You never went to a Theme Park?"  
Mal: "Well no, I lived on the Isle, you know"  
Avril put her hands on her mouth: "And you didn't have Theme Parks?"  
Megara was about to scold her daughter for asking private questions, but Mal looked at her and shook her head signaling that it was alright  
Mal: "No, but my friends and I" she whispered "We used to walk on the rooftops and ran around a lot" she looked around "Don't tell anyone, it's a secret between us, ok?"  
Avril giggled and whispered too: "Ok, I pinky swear it" she raised her pinky  
Luckily Mal knew what a pinky swear was, Evie had explained it to her a few weeks before to teach her some Auradon traditions  
Avril: "Can you come with us?"  
Mal: "You should ask your mom and Ben"  
Avril looked at her mother: "Please mommy"  
Megara: "If Prince Ben wants..?" she turned towards the Prince  
Ben looked at Avril that was looking at him with big eyes: "Please call me Ben, and yes I would love to. I think we should show Mal what a Them Park is"  
Avril threw her hands up: "Best Night Ever!"  
The others laughed, Avril asked Mal if she could stay on her back, and so they went  
Mal sometimes ran to make the little girl on her back laugh, while Megara and Ben stayed behind and talked  
Megara: "Hercules can't wait to invite the twins home" she smiled "I think Avril would really like that, especially now that she met Mal"  
Ben: "What about Dacre and Cyrus?"  
Megara: "Cyrus met Carlos at the robotic class and liked him. Dacre came to Family Day with Hercules and me, while Avril was at a pajama party. He didn't talk to them but he agrees with you, about your program I mean"  
Ben nodded: "I think Dacre would get on well with both the twins... though I don't think Avril is ready to share Mal" he smiled  
Megara laughed  
They had arrived  
Mal was looking at the Them Park with wonder  
Avril: "Let's go! Mommy, daddy is here with my brothers?"  
Megara: "Yes baby" she frowned "Don't you think that Mal is tired of having you on her back?"  
Mal: "Oh not at all, don't worry" then she turned "Carlos?"  
Carlos and Jane were approaching them  
Carlos and Mal: "What are you doing here?"  
Avril: "Cool, you talk at the same time"  
Carlos looked at the little girl with curiosity  
Jane: "Avril? What are you doing on Mal's back?"  
Avril: "She is my best friend"  
Mal smiled: "We were at the restaurant when this little princess asked us for a photo" she tilted her head towards Ben "Then we started talking" she looked at Carlos "She is Avril, Megara and Hercules's little daughter"  
Carlos waved: "Hi, little princess"  
Avril chuckled and blushed, then she saw her daddy with her brothers: "Daddy!"  
Mal, Carlos, Jane, Ben, and Megara saw Hercules, Dacre, and Cyrus getting closer  
Hercules smiled: "Hey Av"  
Avril: "Look! We found the twins on our way here"  
Mal and Carlos looked at Ben and Jane and winked  
Cyrus: "Hey guys!"  
Dacre: "Hello, I didn't get the chance to introduce myself, I'm Dacre"  
Mal and Carlos nodded: "Hi"  
Megara went near her husband and showed him the photos she had taken earlier  
Carlos clapped his hands: "So, should we start this.. " he turned to Jane  
Jane smiled: "Theme Park"  
Mal: "Let's go. Little monkey, do you want to get down and stay here with your family?"  
Avril: "Ok, but can we go on some rides together?"  
Mal helped her get down and Avril went in front of her  
Mal: "Sure, Ben do you have Megara's number?"  
Jane: "I do"  
Mal looked at Avril: "When you want to, call Jane and we'll meet somewhere, ok?"  
Avril nodded and waved  
Mal, Ben, Carlos, and Jane walked towards the rides  
They had fun, Mal and Carlos especially loved the go-karts, then Megara called Jane  
Mal and Avril went on some rides  
At 10 p.m. Hercules and his family went home, while Cyrus, Ben, Mal, Jane, and Carlos went back to school

* * *

 _Carlos and Jane's date_  
 _Wednesday_  
 _5-30_  
Carlos ran to the locker room to have a shower, Ben and Jay arrived soon after him, when they were ready they went to Ben's room to dress properly  
All three of them had a date with their respective girlfriend... or not?  
Jay: "I'll ask her tonight"  
Carlos: "I don't know..."  
Jay and Ben looked at him  
Carlos: "I like her.. a lot... But what if she says no?"  
Ben and Jay shared a look, Jay kept dressing up while Ben sat on his bed and looked at Carlos  
Ben: "She accepted to go on a date with you, didn't she?"  
Carlos: "Well yeah, but that doesn't mean she wants to be my girlfriend"  
Ben raised an eyebrow: "In what world?"  
Jay and Carlos looked at him: "The Isle"  
Ben sighed: "Listen, both of you, here when a girl accepts to go on a date with someone she wants to be something more than friends"  
Jay frowned: "Like friends with benefits?"  
Ben knew what he meant because Mal had talked about it in one of their dreams  
Ben: "No! She wants to be your girlfriend"  
Carlos and Jay hummed  
Carlos: "You are sure about that?"  
Ben: "Yes, 100%"  
Carlos: "Ok then. I'll ask her tonight too"  
At 6-10, they were ready, Ben went into the garden, Carlos was supposed to meet Jane near the Tourney field, and Jay went to pick up Lonnie at her room  
Carlos arrived at the Tourney field and prepared everything for a romantic picnic, he had prepared dinner (including Jane's favorite dessert) he conjured a blanket, plates, bottles of water, and candles that were suspended by air, music came out of the wind. He sat down and put things in order, then he heard her approaching  
He had organized everything behind an oak tree, he ran towards Jane with a blindfold  
Carlos: "Jane!"  
Jane saw him and went in his direction, once she was close to him she smiled: "Hey Carlos"  
Carlos smiled: "Hey, you look gorgeous"  
Jane blushed: "Thank you, you look very handsome"  
Carlos smiled at her compliment: "Do you trust me?"  
Jane nodded  
Carlos: "I have to put this on you" he showed her the blindfold  
Jane nodded again and closed her eyes, Carlos went behind her and put the blindfold on her eyes  
Carlos whispered near Jane's ear: "Now hold my hand" he caressed her arm from the elbow to the wrist  
Jane shivered and opened her hand, Carlos took it  
Carlos: "Ok, I'll lead you to the surprise"  
Jane: "Ok"  
They arrived in front of the picnic  
Carlos: "Ok, we arrived" he made the blindfold magically disappear  
Jane opened her eyes and gasped: "Oh my God! You did all of this?" she turned to look at him "You did this for me?"  
Carlos smiled: "Well, I wanted to make our first date special.." he looked at her uncertain about her reaction "You like it?"  
Jane: "Like it? I love it!" she threw her arms around his neck "Thank you, Carlos! It's amazing"  
Carlos stood still for a second and then hugged her tightly around her waist  
Then Jane took a step back  
Jane: "Sorry... I got carried away" she looked down  
Carlos used a finger to lift her chin: "Don't apologize" he smiled at her "Now, let's enjoy this date"  
They sat down and ate dinner  
Jane: "You cooked it?"  
Carlos nodded: "I have another surprise for you. Look in the basket"  
Jane raised an eyebrow and looked in the basket: "Oh my God!" she picked the dessert "Is this..?"  
Carlos: "Mango cheesecake"  
Jane: "I can't believe how perfect this is" she smiled and kissed Carlos on the cheek  
Carlos was surprised by this, they ate the dessert, then Carlos proposed a walk around the park  
They were walking when they stopped in front of a pond, there was a full moon  
Carlos looked at Jane: "Have I already told you how beautiful you are today?"  
Jane blushed  
Carlos: "Jane?"  
Jane looked at him: "Yes?"  
Carlos: "I like you"  
Jane blushed even more but didn't look down: "I like you too"  
Carlos smiled: "So I was thinking... would you like to be my girlfriend?"  
Jane didn't expect the question, she liked Carlos but she didn't think he liked her too, not enough to become boyfriend and girlfriend anyway  
Jane: "You want to be my boyfriend?"  
Carlos: "Yeah, I do"  
Jane smiled: "I'd like to be your girlfriend"  
Carlos smiled: "May I kiss you?"  
Jane blushed furiously and didn't answer  
Carlos looked at her confused, then he realized something: "Would it be your first kiss?"  
Jane nodded  
Carlos: "I understand. Well, in this case, I will wait until you are ready. When you feel ready, you'll tell me"  
Jane: "You won't insist?"  
Carlos shook his head: "Of course not. It's your first kiss, you decide when you are ready to give it and to whom"  
Jane smiled: "Thank you, Carlos. It means a lot"  
Carlos smiled too: "So, James told me that downtown there is a fair? Would you like to go?"  
Jane: "Yes, I'd love to"  
They took the bus and went downtown, Jane knew where the fair was, once they arrived Carlos felt his sister's presence so they went looking for them  
They spent the night together

* * *

 _Jay and Lonnie's date_  
 _Wednesday_  
 _5-30_  
While Jay was in Ben's room to get ready, Lonnie was in hers and she was kinda nervous...  
Lonnie: "I don't know what to wear"  
A few minutes later Evie came in  
Evie: "I'm yours for 10 minutes"  
Lonnie sighed relieved: "Outfit and make up"  
Evie took care of it, she prepared the outfit and decided what Lonnie's make up would be  
She would wear a blue short jumpsuit, with matching knee-length socks, with a pair of All-Stars. The make up was going to be simple, mascara, fard and a red lipstick  
Evie: "I gotta go help Mal, Audrey will be here in a few minutes. Dress up" and she left  
Lonnie dressed up and Audrey came in  
Audrey: "Make up?"  
Lonnie: "Evie prepared it all on the desk"  
Jane came in, Evie had helped choose the outfit and make up as she did for Lonnie, now she needed Audrey to do her make up and hair  
Audrey: "Ok, Jane you change and I'll do the make up on Lonnie. Then I'll do yours"  
Jane used their shower and then changed, she would wear a turquoise knee-length dress, with tights and a pair of black leather slip-on shoes with a lug sole  
Audrey finished Lonnie's make up and combed her hair  
Audrey: "Jane"  
Jane sat at the desk, once Audrey finished with the make up Lonnie braided Jane's hair  
It was almost 7 and they were ready  
Jane left to go to the Tourney field and Lonnie waited for Jay in the hall, once he arrived they left to go downtown, they were going to eat at Lonnie's favorite restaurant  
They arrived  
Lonnie: "Do you like it?"  
Jay looked around and smiled: "Yeah, somehow it feels like home"  
Lonnie smiled  
They ate their dinner and talked about everything and anything, then they decided to go for a walk, they arrived at a bridge and looked at the river  
Lonnie: "Jay?"  
Jay looked at her  
Lonnie: "I really like you"  
Jay smiled: "I really like you too  
Lonnie: "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"  
Jay: "I'd like that very much" he wasn't surprised that she had done the first move  
Lonnie smiled and got closer to him, she looked at his lips and then at his eyes, he nodded and got closer, they met halfway and kissed

* * *

 _Evie and Doug's date_  
 _Wednesday_  
Evie sat on her bed and took a deep breath, all the girls were ready for their dates, she could relax now... but a knock on the door interrupted her, she looked at the clock, it was now 7 p.m.  
She got up and went to open the door, only to find her boyfriend... well she thought of him as her boyfriend anyway  
Evie smiled: "Doug"  
Doug smiled too: "Hey, I know the girls are on a date... so I thought maybe we could have a movie night?"  
Evie let him come in: "I'd love that"  
Doug entered, he had also brought dinner, so they ate and then he put on the DVD, Evie took some blankets and pillows, they sat down, Doig put the popcorns between them and they watched the movies  
It was 11 p.m. when Doug turned off the TV  
Evie: "It was an amazing date"  
Doug chuckled: "I agree" he helped her tidy up, then he stopped near the door "Evie?"  
Evie looked at him, she went closer: "Yes, Doug?"  
Doug: "I like you a lot.. so I'm going to ask you something but you don't have to say yes..." he took a deep breath "Do you want to go downtown to visit a museum?"  
Evie was expecting another question, but she answered him anyway with a smile: "Of course" then she decided to ask the question "Doug?"  
Doug: "Yes?"  
Evie: "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"  
Doug was so shocked he paled, Evie got worried, she was about to call someone when he recovered  
Doug: "I'm sorry... I didn't... Woah. Yes"  
Evie: "Yes what?"  
Doug: "I want to be your boyfriend"  
Evie smiled, she took his hand: "Can I kiss you, Doug?"  
Doug couldn't answer in words so he nodded, she smiled and kissed him  
Evie thought _Perfect date_

* * *

 _Friday_  
Mal was watching Audrey pacing back and forth in her room  
Evie, Jane, and Lonnie were there too  
Mal: "Hey!"  
Audrey stopped  
Mal: "Cut the crap!"  
Everyone looked at Mal  
Mal: "I'm sorry, it was the only way to stop you. Listen, Audrey. What's wrong?"  
Audrey: "I really like her. I do... but I have never liked anyone like this... and she is a girl... and... I don't know how to... I mean my grandma told me a lot of stuff about boys, but girls? I'm freaking out, okay? I'M FREAKING OUT!" she started sobbing  
Mal went to comfort her, she grabbed her shoulders: "Audrey, breath with me"  
Audrey took a deep breath  
Mal: "Ok, It's normal. I understand it, I do. I never felt what I feel for Ben... You just have to relax. And the difference between boys and girls? It's physical and mental, but you are a girl, aren't you? Now, calm down. You go out with her and relax"  
Audrey nodded: "You are right"  
Mal smiled: "Plus, it's Azura. She'll make you feel comfortable, okay?"  
Audrey nodded: "Right, of course" she grabbed both arms Mal still had on her shoulders "Thank you, Mal"  
Mal nodded and took a step backward: "Now let Evie put make up on you and Jane will do the hair"  
Lonnie: "And what do I do?"  
Mal: "You, my friend... you stay here with me and relax"  
Lonnie: "Oh yes! Practice today was amazing but I'm so tired! I can't feel my body"  
Mal: "Me neither! Coach made me do all the exercises I couldn't do because of the curse. Every time I get up I can feel every muscle move..."  
The girls laid down on Lonnie's bed  
Lonnie: "Mal?"  
Mal hummed to let the other girl know she had heard  
Lonnie: "What should I get Jay for his birthday? And more importantly when is it?"  
Mal: "Oh well. On the Isle, we found out that Jay and Evie's birthday is the 21st of December. I don't know... I mean.. we never... We never celebrated birthdays on the Isle... We have these beliefs... So, you can't celebrate your birthday if it isn't your birthday"  
Lonnie: "Why?"  
Evie answered her: "Bad luck"  
Lonnie: "Really? Villains believe in bad luck?"  
Evie and Mal looked at her with a raised eyebrow  
Lonnie: "What?"  
Evie: "Why should the fact that they are villains determine their beliefs?"  
Mal: "Bad luck exist"  
Both girls were clearly upset, someone knocked at the door. Jane went to open it  
Carlos and Jay were there looking angry  
Jay: "Lonnie?"  
Lonnie: "I'm sorry... I just... I didn't think about it, ok?"  
Jay: "What didn't you think? That my parents are people? That they can believe in something?"  
Lonnie got up from the bed: "No! Jay, please let me explain"  
Carlos: "Go on"  
Lonnie: "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend your parents... I just talked without thinking" she looked at Jay "Please, forgive me"  
Jay shook his head and left, Mal, Carlos, and Evie followed him after glaring at Lonnie  
Lonnie sat down: "Damn it"  
Jane went near her: "Hey, it's ok. He'll forgive you. They all will"  
Audrey: "Jane is right..." she looked at Lonnie "Do you want me to cancel the date?"  
Lonnie shook her head: "No, go and have fun"  
Audrey: "Ok" she looked at Jane and nodded "Bye"

* * *

Lonnie went to the Tourney field and found the vks there, laying on the grass. It was way past curfew  
She got closer to them  
Mal: "Why are you here?"  
Of course, they had heard her  
Lonnie: "Can we talk?"  
They all sat at the same time  
Lonnie: "I don't know why I said it... but I can't turn back time. I'm sorry, it's just that we were always taught that the villains on the Isle were these horrible monsters and..."  
Jay: "Lonnie"  
Lonnie looked at him  
Jay: "It's okay"  
Lonnie: "What?"  
Jay: "We forgive you"  
Lonnie: "So you are not mad at me?"  
Carlos: "Nah"  
Lonnie: "Then... when you left..?"  
Evie: "Oh no. When we left we were mad. Like really mad"  
Mal: "But then... we got bored so we stopped being mad... we saw Audrey with Azura, adorable. Then we came here to look at the stars since you know... we never saw them"  
Lonnie looked at Jay: "Really? I don't have to do anything to earn your forgiveness?"  
Jay smiled, got up: "Well there is one thing you could do"  
Lonnie smiled too: "What?  
Jay got closer, looked at her lips: "May I?"  
Lonnie smiled, nodded, put her hands on his neck and brought his head closer, and kissed him

* * *

 _Audrey's date_  
Azura was waiting in the garden when she saw Audrey walk out of the school  
Audrey got closer: "Hey"  
Azura: "Hey, you look beautiful"  
Audrey smiled and tucked a stray of hair behind her ear: "You look beautiful too"  
Azura: "Well thank you" she smiled "You are good to go?"  
Audrey: "Yes"  
They left to go to the cinema, they watched a dramatic movie, then went to a restaurant  
Azura: "Did you like the movie?"  
Audrey: "Yeah I did" she looked down "For a first date... it's going pretty well"  
Azura took her hand: "Still nervous?"  
Audrey blushed: "Is it that obvious?"  
Azura smiled: "Just a little"  
Audrey: "I just.. don't want to mess up"  
Azura: "Hey, I like you for who you are. You just have to be yourself"  
Audrey: "Did you tell your parents?"  
Azura: "That I like you?"  
Audrey: "That... and that you like girls?"  
Azura sighed: "Audrey... if you are not ready..."  
Audrey: "No! I mean... I'm ready. I'm just curious"  
Azura: "Yes, I did tell them that I like girls and they know that I like you, I told them about today... but if you are worried about what people will think about us.."  
Audrey: "I'm not. I know my grandmother will freak out, but I don't care. I told my parents about you"  
Azura: "You did?"  
Audrey smiled: "Yes"  
Azura smiled: "I'm sorry... for those things I said..."  
Audrey: "No, it's ok...I understand... Why don't we go to take a walk?"  
Azura: "I'd love that"  
They went around the block and then decided to go home when they arrived in front of the school  
Azura: "Well... here we are"  
Audrey: "Yeah..."  
Azura: "I guess... goodnight?"  
Audrey: "I'd like a proper goodnight... if you don't mind?"  
Azura smiled: "You feel ready?"  
Audrey nodded and took a step forward, closer to Azura  
Azura: "You don't have to"  
Audrey: "I want to"  
Azura caressed her face, then she took a step closer and kissed her, at that moment it seemed like the stars were falling on them, the air was thicker, it lasted a second that felt like an eternity and at the same time seemed was too short, it was sweet like Audrey's favorite chocolate and salty like the sea Azura loved so much  
Then Azura took a step back  
Audrey had still her eyes closed, she had never felt like this before  
The girls knew what it was  
True Love  
When they opened their eyes, they smiled and laughed. They hugged and they got in  
Azura walked Audrey to her room and kissed her on the cheek as a goodbye  
Audrey entered her room and smiled

* * *

In the morning  
Someone knocked at the vks room  
Mal woke up, startled and got up to see who was the idiot that had decided to bother her so early, she opened the door and found there Audrey  
Audrey was smiling ear to ear  
Mal wasn't so happy, she glared at her: "Audrey, what the hell? What did I tell you about the weekend's morning?"  
Audrey laughed: "I'm sorry Auntie, but I had to tell you!"  
Mal put a hand on Audrey's mouth: "Shhh, for the love of Gothel! They are sleeping!" she scratched her eyes and closed the door behind her "Let's go"  
Audrey whispered: "Where?"  
Mal: "Common room"  
They arrived at the common room  
Mal was now more awake: "Tell me, Princess, what was so important that you couldn't wait a normal hour to wake me up on a Saturday morning?"  
Audrey smiled: "The date"  
Mal: "And you couldn't wait until a normal hour?"  
Audrey: "It's 9 a.m."  
Mal glared at her: "Start talking or I'll kill you"  
Audrey raised her hands in surrender: "Ok" she smiled "We went to the movies, then we ate at a fancy restaurant and we talked and talked... then we took a walk under the stars" she sighed "Oh it was so romantic! I loved it, and she was so kind and patient... then we came back" her smile got wider "And we kissed"  
Mal looked surprised: "Woah, I did not see that coming"  
Audrey shook her head: "That's not all. We had a True Love kiss"  
Mal now was completely shocked: "For.. for real?"  
Audrey nodded and laughed  
Mal: "Oh my God" she smiled "Oh my God!" she got up  
Audrey got up too  
Mal grabbed Audrey from her elbows and Audrey grabbed Mal's arms, and the girls started laughing and jumping like little girls, then Mal hugged Audrey  
Ben walked in on them still hugging and was shocked  
Ben: "What the..?"  
The girls looked at him and he saw Mal's smile  
Ben smiled too: "What are you celebrating?"  
Mal laughed: "Audrey's date"  
Ben: "Oh right! How did it go?"  
Audrey: "It was amazing" she looked at Mal "Truly amazing"  
Mal laughed again: "Go on, Rora is waiting for your details"  
Audrey went to her room to call her mother, but before hugged Ben, who was a little taken aback  
Audrey: "Thank you, Ben!"  
Ben: "For what?"  
Audrey: "For breaking up with me. And for being such an amazing friend" then she left  
Mal laughed again and went near Ben  
Ben: "What is going on?"  
Mal smiled: "Can't tell. It's a secret for now"  
Ben: "Uhm... what are you doing up so early on a Saturday morning?"  
Mal: "My niece needed me"  
Ben pouted: "But when I try to wake you, you never get out of bed"  
Mal smiled and put her arms around his neck: "Yet... you still like me"  
Ben sighed: "You are going back to bed?"  
Mal: "Of course I am"  
Ben nodded: "In the afternoon, we work on the plan for the Isle?"  
Mal nodded and kissed him: "See you later"  
Ben: "Later"

* * *

Ben's room  
2 p.m.  
There was a knock at the door  
Ben: "Come in"  
Mal opened the door: "Hello Prince Handsome"  
Ben smiled at his girlfriend, turned on his chair: "Hey there beautiful"  
Mal got closer to him: "Whatcha doing?"  
Ben: "I'm working"  
Mal got behind him and massaged his shoulders, she bent a little and whispered in his ear: "You want to take a break?"  
Ben chuckled: "Why don't you help me with this?"  
Mal sighed and sat in the chair near him, Ben showed her what he was doing  
Mal: "Not gonna work"  
Ben: "Why?"  
Mal: "You have to make good rations or else the villains will take all of the food" she shook her head "Give me that" she started writing and making some calculations "Ben, start with the program for the kids to come to visit"  
They worked for a few hours in silence, Ben was using the Innocent List for the kids' program, Mal finished with the food program. Then Mal decided to start on the construction program, Ben looked at the documents of the Isle  
Time passed, it was now almost dinner time  
Mal let her head fall on the table, Ben looked at her and smiled  
Ben: "Tired?"  
Mal: "Yes" her voice was muffled  
Ben chuckled: "This will be our life"  
Mal turned her head and smiled: "I can deal with it if I have you"  
Ben smiled  
They organized the desk and left to go to dinner, while they were walking to the kitchen holding hands, Mal decided to ask something  
Mal: "Tomorrow you will be King"  
Ben: "Yeah, I will. And you will be Lady Of The Court... nervous?"  
Mal: "Will it change?"  
Ben: "What?"  
Mal: "The press, the school... will it change?" she stopped and looked at him  
Ben: "The press will be more... curious about you. They will probably write something at least once a day, even if there is nothing new to know. The school... not much"  
Mal nodded, they started walking again  
They took their trays and went to their usual table, they were eating in silence when a group of girls came to interrupt  
One of the girls smiled: "Hi Ben. I'm Amara"  
Ben smiled in return, but Mal could see it was one of his polite smiles  
Amara: "I was wondering.. do you have a date for tomorrow?"  
Mal and Ben looked at each other and then at the girl with a raised eyebrow  
Mal smiled and waved: "I'm his date"  
The girls looked at her like they had seen her only when she talked  
Another girl: "You want her as your date?"  
Mal rolled her eyes  
Ben: "Yeah, you know since we are dating. We are boyfriend and girlfriend. I'm pretty sure the whole school knows it"  
Amara grimaced: "Well.. I was hoping it was just a rumor or something. I mean look at her" she smiled "And look at me"  
Ben looked at Amara: "I'm not sure what you are implying. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to eat my dinner" he turned at his plate  
Mal waved at the girls with a wicked smile and went back to eat her dinner  
The girls left, but they weren't done  
Amara apparently hadn't appreciated Ben's preference for Mal, so she took her Frappe and walked towards Mal and Ben, they had just got up from the table  
Amara: "You know Mal, milk is really good for the skin" and she poured the Frappe on her, then she walked away  
Mal sighed and turned to Ben, that looked really upset: "Why? Why do I inspire people to pour beverages on me?"  
Ben smiled a little: "I'm sorry"  
Mal touched her cheek and licked her finger: "Mm it's actually good"  
Ben chuckled and Mal laughed  
Mal: "You wanna try it?"  
Ben kissed her cheek and licked his lips: "It really is good"  
Mal chuckled: "Told you"  
FG arrived at the cafeteria and went near them: "What is going on here?"  
Mal: "A girl decided to help me with my skin routine. Apparently, milk is good for the skin"  
FG sighed sadly: "Oh Mal, what happened?"  
Ben: "Amara asked me if I already had a date for tomorrow, I said that I was going with Mal. She compared herself with Mal, and I apparently was supposed to choose her. I didn't and she left. Then she poured the Frappe on Mal"  
FG shook her head: "I'll talk with her"  
Mal: "No, please. It's nothing, at the mall happened too"  
FG: "What? Why didn't you tell me?  
Mal: "Cause I defended myself"  
FG raised an eyebrow  
Ben: "Two girls poured a Slurpee on her and she decided to pour on them the water from the fountain with magic"  
FG: "Mm... it's actually a good way to make them understand why what they did was wrong. Good thinking"  
Mal smiled: "Thanks. Now, if you don't mind, I'll go take a shower"

* * *

Evie was talking with Doug on her bed when Mal entered the room, at first they simply waved at her, then Evie sat up  
Evie: "What in the name of...?"  
Mal: "Amara"  
Evie huffed: "What is that?"  
Mal: "A Frappe. Or at least that is how Ben called it"  
Evie: "What is it made of?"  
Mal: "Milk and fruit" she put a strand of hair in her mouth "I think it's strawberry" she hummed "And banana"  
Evie shook her head: "I hope it will go away with a wash"  
Mal: "I'll go take a shower" she picked up her pajamas and went in the bathroom  
There was a knock at the door, Evie went to open it and found Ben there, she grabbed him from his arm and pulled him in  
Evie: "Why the hell Mal always gets something poured on her when she is with you? Couldn't you see what the girl wanted to do? Do I need to come with you at your dates or around to defend her?"  
Ben: "I'm sorry, really. I wasn't looking around and she came... and it was so fast..."  
Evie scoffed: "Yeah sure. Listen, if they had the time to pour something on her, they would have it to attack her"  
Mal was in the shower trying to clean her hair from the milk, she could hear Evie scolding Ben  
But she was taking her time, Evie was just worried for her and she needed to get her anger out on someone  
She finished the shower, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and put on the pajamas  
She got out of the bathroom  
Mal: "Evie"  
Evie: "What?"  
Mal: "I'm fine. I can defend myself"  
Evie: "Then why didn't you?"  
Mal: "It's just a Frappe. I saw her coming with the Frappe towards me, I didn't think she would pour it on me. And when she was too close I let her do it"  
Evie: "Why!?"  
Mal: "If I had reacted she would have gone to her parents, who then would have told the press... Tomorrow I will be announced as Lady Of The Court. Plus, I'm stronger than that. I don't need to react at their provocations" she went near Ben, took his right hand in hers and her left hand went to grab his right arm, then she put her head on his shoulder "I have him. They will never get him. That's it"  
Evie, Doug, and Ben were shocked  
Evie: "You are right. I'm sorry Ben... it's just... between the curse and the eating disorder.."  
Ben smiled at Evie: "I understand, you are worried"  
Mal yawned: "Can we go to sleep?"  
Ben rubbed her hand and kissed her on her head: "Sure honey"  
Mal looked at him with a blank expression: "How did you call me?"  
Ben blushed: "Sorry... I didn't.."  
Mal: "No, it's okay. I just didn't expect it"  
Ben smiled happily, Mal smiled in return and kissed him on the cheek  
Doug kissed Evie goodnight  
Mal: "Goodnight Little Prince"  
Ben: "Goodnight Lily Love"  
They kissed and he left


	46. The Program Begins

Ben and Mal were in his room  
Mal: "So" she did a spin with the chair with the wheels "Let's say we bring in the younger kids first, where would they go?"  
Ben searched for a document "Uh wait a second" he found the document "We have an orphanage, Merryweather, Flora, and Fauna are in charge of it" he looked at Mal "What do you think?"  
Mal hummed: "I'd like to see it, but I think it's a good idea"  
Ben: "With "younger kids" what do you mean?"  
Mal: "I mean those younger than 13 years old" she took the list "If the older finds out that the kids like it here, it would be easier for them"  
Ben "Tell me the names, the age, and the parents so that I write them down" he took a sheet  
Mal: "Okay, here's the list:  
\- Dizzy, daughter of Drizella, is 12 years old  
\- Celia, daughter of Dr. Facilier, is 11 years old  
\- Francine, daughter of Gothel, is 9 years old  
\- Jian, son of Shan Yu, is 13 years old  
\- Queenie, daughter of the Queen of Hearts, is 10 years old  
\- Squeaky and Squirmy, the twins of Mr. Smee, are 8 years old  
\- Martina and Francesco, children of Mangiafuoco (Fire-Eater), she is 9 years old and he is 12 years old  
And we are done"  
Ben wrote them down: "Ok, perfect. These are the kids we bring first. What about the hospital?"  
Mal: "I did the plant of the Isle, and where it should be built, between the Reformed Part and the SeaPart there is kind of a No Man's Land. We have to give it to the architects and workmen and..."  
Ben: "Wait a second" Mal looked at him "What about those who live in the Evil Part? They can't go there"  
Mal sighed: "Ben, the Auradonians can't go in the Evil Part to build, they would die either for the air or killed by someone"  
Ben: "But..."  
Mal: "Hey, we start with this then we will think of a solution for that too, ok?"  
Ben nodded: "You are right"  
Mal searched for a document: "Of course I am" she sighed "Now, let's get back to work. We have to update the list of villains and their kids"  
Ben nodded: "Maybe you could divide them into the parts where they live?"  
Mal: "Sure"  
Ben's phone rang, he looked surprised but he answered: "Mom?"  
Mal could hear the conversation but focused on her task and wrote down the list:

**List of villains:**   
** •Evil Part: **   
_-Maleficent and Cruella (currently in prison)_   
_-Yzma_   
_-Frollo_   
_-Mangiafuoco_   
_-Prince John_   
_-Gaston and children (dead)_   
_-Captain Hook_   
_-Gothel_   
** •Reformed Part: **   
_-Jafar and Grimhilde_   
_-Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella with Dizzy and Martina_   
_-Queen of Hearts with Queenie_   
_-Mary and Francine (daughters of Gothel)_   
** •SeaPart: **   
_-Ursula with Uma and Gil_   
_-Mr. Smee with his sons_   
_-Dr. Facilier with Celia_   
_-Shan Yu with children Liang and Jian_   
_-Francesco (son of Mangiafuoco)_   
_-Richard_   
** •Forest: **   
_-Hades_

Mal was done in 30 minutes, Ben's call was over but he was looking at the wall in front of him  
Mal noticed that he seemed rigid: "What's wrong?"  
Ben: "Leah"  
Mal sighed: "What did she do?"  
Ben: "She went to Snow White's house because she had found out that Grimhilde and Jafar were there, they were having lunch together... there were also Jasmine and Aladdin.."  
Mal got up: "What happened?"  
Ben looked at her with a worried expression: "She threw a knife at Grimhilde"  
Mal was shocked, she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out  
Ben went to her and grabbed her by the shoulder: "Evie, Jay, Carlos, and my parents are already going to the hospital. FG is furious, she is at the hospital. Grimhilde isn't in danger"  
Mal: "Where is Leah?" her voice was like ice  
Ben sighed: "We don't know, she left too fast... Aurora and Phil with their guards are searching"  
Mal looked at Ben with death in her eyes: "I'm gonna kill her"  
Ben: "No, you won't. If you do that we won't be able to help the Innocents nor the Isle"  
Mal: "I don't care"  
Ben: "You do"  
Mal sighed: "I need to punch something"  
Ben: "Ok, I understand it, I'll call for a car and you conjure something to punch, ok?" he left the room  
Mal nodded and conjured a punching bag and started to release her anger, she was punching the bag so hard her knuckles started bleeding, finally, she did a roundhouse kick and the bag fell to the ground before vanishing  
Ben came in the room and found his girlfriend on her knees bleeding, she was facing the wall, breathing heavily, her eyes were glowing, he could feel her anger  
He was seeing her dangerous side now, the side she used to always show on the Isle, the side that kept her alive  
Ben: "Mal?"  
Mal looked at him: "What?"  
Ben got closer to her, slowly, like he was approaching a dangerous animal: "You have to come back to me"  
Mal frowned: "I'm here"  
Ben smiled and sat down: "No, this isn't you"  
Mal huffed and got up, she looked at him, eyes still glowing with fury: "This is me, Benjamin. Just because I chose to be good, you expect me to be what? Like Jane when I came here?" her voice was threatening "I'm the daughter of Maleficent and Hades! I'm practically a demon of magic! You cannot tame me! I will never, never, be a princess" she growled the last part, the walls of the room seem to shake, her eyes were a deep green, her horns and wings came out, they were black and purple, they seemed to shine  
Ben could feel her magic: "I don't want to tame you, I don't want you to be a princess, I never did. I love you for who you are" he got up too "Even if you are practically a demon, even more, because you are a demon. And I don't care if you want to go punch Leah, you know what? I'll help you. I started to fell in love with you when you were on the Isle when you hadn't yet"  
Mal looked at him in the eyes while he was talking  
Ben was about to say something else when she decided she had enough, she grabbed him by the face and kissed him fiercely  
Ben was surprised, it took him a moment to realize what was happening, then he closed his eyes and hold her by the waist, her hands went in his hair and he held her more close  
Then she pulled away, her eyes still closed, Ben opened his, they were both breathing heavily  
Ben: "What was that?"  
Mal opened her eyes and looked at his, they were shining with passion and desire  
Mal: "A kiss"  
Ben smirked: "I know that. Why did you do it?"  
Mal frowned: "I don't understand, didn't you like it?"  
Ben: "No, I loved it. Whenever you want we can do it again. I just... you were about to eat me a few moments ago and then you kiss me..."  
Mal sighed and took a step back, she turned towards the window: "I was angry, I said awful stuff and you didn't attack me... You know, every night I wake up in the middle of the night and I check on my brother, on Evie, on Jay, on you... and then I can't go back to sleep" she turned towards him "If that had happened on the Isle, the other person would have attacked me. We would have fought. That" she pointed at the point where she was a few minutes ago "That could have ended up with the death of someone" she turned again to the window  
Ben whispered: "Mal.."  
Mal turned to look at him, upset: "Mal nothing, Benjamin! I was about to attack you and you told me you love me! I'm a monster!" she sobbed "I shouldn't be here... you deserve so much more"  
Now it was Ben's turn to get angry, his eyes glowed a dark brown, and growled "YOU ARE NOT A MONSTER!"  
Mal took a step back, her eyes wide open, Ben's beast side never got the better of him, it happened only once in their dreams, he had told her that his father had helped him learn to control it  
Ben was breathing heavily, he seemed somehow higher, his body seemed bigger  
Mal didn't get scared easily but she had been through a lot of trauma, a lot of violent men and women, when she had met Ben she thought she was safe with him... but seeing him this angry...  
Mal shook her head, she had to do something: "Ben?"  
Ben growled  
Mal went closer to him, her hand was trembling when she raised it to caress his face, Ben huffed, his eyes were darker than usual, she scratched his cheek and he closed his eyes and purred like a cat, she smiled and kissed him lightly this time, then she pulled away  
Ben opened his eyes and sighed: "It seems like you really want to kiss me today"  
Mal smiled: "I actually do" her smile dropped "You okay?"  
Ben nodded: "Yes, I'm sorry. Did I scare you?"  
Mal: "Just a little"  
Ben frowned: "Your hands are shaking"  
Mal looked at them: "Oh"  
Ben simply looked at her while she took a deep breath with her eyes closed  
Mal: "We should go"  
Ben nodded, Mal went ahead but he stopped  
Mal turned to him: "What?"  
Ben: "I'm sorry. Really" his eyes were watering  
Mal sighed, the same thing had happened in the dream: "Ben..."  
Ben started crying, Mal's heart ached  
Ben: "I scared you" he sobbed "I was supposed to be your safe place..."  
Mal shook her head and started crying too: "Ben, stop"  
Ben sat on the bed and hold his head in his hand  
Mal ran to him and knelt: "Ben, please don't do this to me. I hate seeing you cry"  
Ben: "I don't know how to stop" he kept sobbing  
Mal whispered: "Please stop, I love you"  
Ben stopped and raised his head to look at her, his eyes were red and puffy: "What?"  
Mal was surprised too, but repeated it: "I love you" she smiled and a surprised laugh came out of her "I love you!"  
Ben smiled: "You do?"  
Mal nodded and laughed, she threw herself in his arms and they fell back on the bed, they were both laughing and crying  
Belle came in the room almost running, she was about to say something when she saw the two teens on the bed laughing and sobbing: "Ben? Mal? Are you alright?"  
Mal and Ben got up from the bed when Belle saw tears on both their faces got worried  
Belle: "Did something happened?"  
Mal shook her head and a watery laugh came out of her: "No, I just... I just realized something"  
Belle: "Can I know it too?"  
Ben shook his head: "It's a secret"  
Mal chuckled and Belle smiled  
Belle: "Fine, now come with me"

* * *

They finally went to the hospital, Mal's mood changed again  
Mal: "How is she?"  
Belle: "The wound isn't deep, she isn't at risk... but" she looked at Mal "She got really scared"  
Mal nodded. They arrived and went immediately to find Grimhilde and the others, when Mal entered the room she ran towards Evie that was sitting on an armchair near an empty bed  
Mal: "Blue?" her voice was almost childlike  
Evie looked at her friend: "She is okay... she is getting a few tests done... where were you?"  
Mal: "I'm sorry, some stuff happened.." she let Evie saw what had happened in Ben's room  
Evie nodded and smiled: "Yeah, I want her dead too"  
Belle looked confused and concerned  
Ben: "They are talking about Leah. Which reminds me, did you find her?"  
Belle shook her head, Jay, Carlos, and Jafar came into the room  
Mal got up and went to hug Jay, who hold her tightly  
Jay: "Where have you been? We needed you"  
Mal: "I'm so sorry" she pulled back  
Jay: "It's okay, you are here now"  
Mal also hugged Jafar and then took her brother's hand  
Carlos: "They finished their tests, they are bringing her back here"  
Adam came in: "They found her"  
Mal and Carlos took a step forward: "We would like to speak with her"  
Evie and Jay went near the twins and nodded  
Jafar: "Yeah, I'd like to talk with that.. woman too"  
Adam: "You can't. She will be brought at the Castle and the Council with a jury, during a trial"  
Mal: "We can talk to her before the trial. 5 minutes will be more than enough"  
Ben: "I think you should be at the trial and talk to her while you are there"  
Adam looked at his son: "You are the King and head of the Council now. It's your decision"  
Ben: "Oh right. Then you will be there"  
Evie: "What do you mean by 'trial'?"  
Belle: "I thought you had trials too"  
Jay: "I think they are a bit different than yours"  
Ben: "Well, there's a jury, the suspect and who will defend him, then there is the part against him and finally a crowd"  
Mal: "And we would be the part against?"  
Ben, Adam, and Belle nodded  
Jafar: "No, I want to talk to her privately"  
The vks shared a look and nodded  
Evie: "Us too"  
Mal looked at Ben: "Ben, trust us. We just want to talk"  
Ben looked at Mal for a few seconds, then sighed: "Fine" he turned to Adam "Let me know when she arrives at the Castle"  
Adam simply nodded and left with Belle to go home, Grimhilde came a few minutes later and she was clearly upset  
Grimhilde: "I don't understand. I met the woman like once, and we didn't even talk. Why would she do that?"  
Mal and Carlos were pacing back and forth in sync  
Evie: "I don't know. But we'll find out. There will be a trial" then she turned to look at Mal and Carlos "And more importantly, we will talk to her"

* * *

The next day  
Mal and Carlos were sleeping on the floor, Jay and Jafar were sleeping on an armchair, and Evie was sleeping in the bed with her mother  
Ben opened the door and chuckled, the doctor came in too and smiled at what he saw  
Jafar and Jay woke up first, then Grimhilde  
Jay: "So?"  
The doctor: "Grimhilde, you are totally fine. No damage. You can go home tomorrow morning, we want to keep you here for another day just in case. A nurse is coming to change the bandage in a few minutes" he left  
They all sighed in relief, Evie woke up next  
Evie: "What did he say?"  
They told her the results of the tests  
Ben: "Should we wake them up?"  
Jay sarcastically: "If you want to die, sure go ahead"  
Grimhilde scolded him: "Jay, you have to show respect. He is the King"  
Jay looked at his mother and Ben: "Nah, he is just the boyfriend of my little sister"  
Ben chuckled: "It's fine, I don't want to be treated differently"  
Mal and Carlos woke up, yawned, and then stood up in a hurry: "What happened?" they looked at Grimhilde  
Grimhilde smiled sweetly: "My little demons"  
Mal and Carlos went on either side of her and she caressed their cheeks  
Mal: "What did the doctor say?"  
Grimhilde: "Tomorrow I can go home"  
Carlos: "And the wound?"  
Grimhilde: "It's fine. Nothing too serious"  
Mal: "All right" she turned towards Ben  
Ben nodded: "I already organized it all. You can come and talk to Leah"  
Mal smiled at him: "Can we go now?"  
Ben: "Yes"  
Mal looked at the others who nodded  
Jafar went near Grimhilde: "Love, we are going to talk with that woman and come back. You rest, Annabel will come soon"  
Grimhilde nodded: "Be careful"  
Jafar smiled and bent to kiss her on the head: "Always"  
They all left the room and met FG at the front office, then they went to the Castle, they arrived within 20 minutes  
They followed Ben to the west wing of the Castle and arrived in front of a room  
Ben turned to the group: "She is here, with a guard. The guard will go out, but I have to be there"  
Mal nodded: "It's alright" her eyes glowed a little "We just want to talk"  
Ben raised an eyebrow but opened the door, they entered the room, Leah was sitting on an armchair and there was a guard near the door, when she saw them she scowled immediately, the guard nodded at Ben and left, closing the door behind him  
Leah: "What is the meaning of this?"  
Mal smiled evilly: "We would like to talk to you"  
Carlos's smile was the same as his twin: "You scared, Leah?"  
Leah laughed mockingly: "I'm not scared of two monsters like you. Ben is here. You can't harm me"  
Evie took a step forward: "But we can scare you"  
Jay: "And trust us, we can do it pretty well"  
Ben sighed and looked at Jafar  
Jafar: "I'm here to enjoy the show and check that they don't go too far"  
Ben looked at Mal, she turned to him and he heard her voice in his head: Trust me.  
He nodded and she winked at him  
The vks went near Leah, who seemed to understand that Ben wasn't going to stop them, she opened her mouth to yell but Mal was quicker  
Mal snapped her fingers and Leah's voice seemed to disappear: "I think you should shut up and listen"  
Evie crouched down: "You threw a knife at my mom"  
Jay: "She never talked to you. We want to know why you did it"  
Carlos: "But first. You should know this if you ever try to hurt anyone from the Isle again" he growled  
Mal growled too: "You will regret it for the rest of your miserable life, understood?"  
Leah opened her mouth to talk and finally, words came out: "I'm not scared of you"  
Mal: "Ben, can Carlos and I show her what we look like?"  
Ben: "I don't think... you know what? do it. She will stop talking for a while"  
Mal and Carlos smirked and their eyes started to glow, even more, then the transformation began: Mal's wings and horns came out, her eyes were a dark green and you could see bolts of lightning in there and if you looked at them closely you could see all your nightmares, she was paler then usual; Carlos's wings came out and his hair turned to blue and was on fire, his eyes were a dark blue and you could see a fire in them, and if you looked closely you would feel terror in your heart, he was also paler then usual.  
Leah was looking at the twins with an expression of pure horror  
When Mal and Carlos talked their voices were cold and like steel: "Don't you dare hurt again someone from the Isle, or you will regret it, understood?"  
Leah simply nodded, Mal and Carlos turned back to normal  
Evie: "See? It wasn't that hard. See you at the trial, Leah"  
Jay winked: "I hope you'll have nightmares"  
Jafar didn't say a word and got out of the room, his children followed him, Carlos went after them, and Mal went to Ben, the guard came in  
Mal: "Shall we?"  
Ben chuckled: "We shall" he took her hand and they left with a goodbye at the guard  
They went to Ben's study, they had to finish their work  
Ben: "I completed the files and request and sent them. Within a week, the kids will come. We should go visit the orphanage"  
Mal nodded and they left. The moment they arrived Mal felt at ease, Merryweather guided them in a fast tour of the facility and described it, and Ben explained their ideas, she agreed to make some changes for the Isle kids. Mal told Ben the place was perfect, and it was decided. That orphanage was going to be a temporary home for the younger Innocents  
The program begins


	47. Isle Kids

Ben was jumping on the spot, he was trying to see if the little bus was coming  
Mal: "Stop it, for the love of Gothel!"  
Ben turned to her: "What?"  
Mal looked at him sideways: "You are making me want to punch you in the face"  
Ben chuckled: "You are always so sweet"  
Mal: "Stop being so nervous"  
Ben: "I can't help it"  
They were waiting in front of the orphanage for the kids to arrive  
Merryweather: "They are almost here"  
Mal: "3 minutes"  
Ben: "We can do this, right?"  
Mal and Merryweather looked at each other and sighed  
Mal: "Ben, we have talked about this already. You are going to be just perfect"  
Ben nodded  
3 minutes later the bus arrived, it stopped, the kids came out and stopped in front of the trio, Carlos was with them, he winked at his sister  
Mal smirked and winked too  
Ben took a deep breath: "Goodmorning guys. I'm Ben"  
Merryweather: "I'm Merryweather, the principal of this facility"  
Mal: "I hope you remember who I am, or you will be in trouble"  
The kids finally smiled and chuckled  
Ben looked at Mal and she nodded at him: "Why don't we go inside? There's food, we can talk and you can introduce yourself"  
Once the kids heard the word food, Mal knew she had to step in  
Mal: "There is enough food for everybody, no need to steal or eat too fast. So, what you will do is this: you will follow us in an organized line and wait for your turn, understood?"  
The kids nodded  
Merryweather: "Well then. Let's go"  
Merryweather and Ben were in front of the line while Mal and Carlos stayed behind to check the kids, they entered the cafeteria and they stopped  
Ben smiled at everyone while Mal went at his right and Merryweather was at his left, Carlos went to bring to the dorms the stuff the kids had brought with them  
Ben: "As you can see we have a buffet, one at a time you can grab a plate and pick the food. When everyone has their food, we can start with the introductions, ok?"  
The kids looked at Mal, who nodded, one after the other they picked the food and sat at the table  
Mal was sat near Ben: "Leave them to eat first, then we can talk"  
Ben: "Ok, should I say something?"  
Mal: "I've got this" she looked at Jian, since he was the oldest and nodded, he nodded back and gestured to the others. They all started eating  
Ben: "I still can't believe how good you are at silent conversation"  
Once the kids finished eating, Carlos had come back and Jian got up  
Jian had black hair and brown eyes: "I'm Jian, the youngest son of Shan Yu" he looked to his right and nodded  
A girl with fair skin, brown eyes, auburn and curly hair, who wore a colorful dress, got up and bowed: "My name is Dizzy, daughter of Drizella. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty"  
Ben: "The pleasure is mine" he bowed too  
The dark-skinned girl next to her had curly dark hair and brown eyes, who wore a shirt and a skirt, who didn't get up: "I'm Celia" Mal smiled at her  
A girl with dark and straight hair, green eyes and fair skin got up, who had a dirty black dress: "Francine, Gothel is my mother"  
A blonde and curly-haired girl, with fair skin and blue eyes, she wore a red dress, got up and bowed: "Your Majesty, my name is Queenie, daughter of the Queen of Hearts"  
Jian now looked at his left  
Two little boys got up, they both had blonde hair and fair skin, one had brown eyes and the other had green eyes: "We are Squearky and Squirmy, twins of Mr. Smee"  
Mal told who was who to Ben  
Another boy with tanned skin, brown hair, and green eyes got up: "Francesco, son of Mangiafuoco, her brother" he pointed at the girl next to him  
The girl with tanned skin, brown hair, and eyes, got up: "I'm Martina"  
Jian had waited for all the introductions to be over, then with a look at Mal and Ben he sat down  
Ben got up again: "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all. You can call me Ben unless it's a formal occasion. You will be staying here, for now, I hope you will like it, we will do a tour now"  
Mal nodded  
They all got up and started the tour, Ben showed the kids the classes, they walked through the garden, once they arrived at the dorms Merryweather intervened, they were at the end of the hallway, one room on each side  
Merryweather: "Here we have two rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls. Your bags are already in here, why don't you go inside and take a look?"  
The girls entered the room at their left and the boys entered the one at their right  
Mal: "I think it's going pretty well"  
Carlos: "Yeah, no fighting since they arrived. It's a victory"  
Ben sighed in relief  
Mal looked at him: "You alright?"  
Ben nodded  
Then, they heard some noises from the rooms, Mal sighed and entered the girls' room  
Carlos: "I spoke too soon" and entered the boys' room  
Merryweather followed Carlos while Ben went with Mal

* * *

In the boys' room  
The four boys were yelling  
Carlos: "Guys!" the yelling stopped "What is going on?"  
Jian: "Those two can't decide where to sleep!" he pointed at the twins  
Squearky and Squirmy: "I want to stay in those fluffy things"  
Merryweather sighed sadly  
Carlos: "Guys, there are four beds, you are four. Yes, they are beds. I'll decide where you sleep, so we are done with this, ok?"  
The four little boys nodded  
Carlos: "Squearky and Squirmy will sleep on the beds that look like boats, Squearky you sleep on the blue one, Squirmy on the red one" the twins nodded "Francesco and Jian, you take the bunk-bed, can you decide who stays up and who stays down?"  
Francesco: "I'll stay down"  
Jian: "Fine by me"  
Carlos: "Great. You will be together here, Mal and I won't be here every day so you gotta stick together. No fights. You got it?"  
They all nodded  
Carlos: "You like your room?"  
Francesco: "Yes"  
Merryweather smiled happily: "I'm glad, now that is all set, let's go to my class and I will explain how this is going to be"

* * *

In the girls' room  
The girls were yelling too, except for Celia that was sitting on the ground  
Mal: "STOP IT!"  
They all stopped and stared at her, Celia too  
Mal: "Good, what the hell is going on? Celia explain"  
Ben looked at Mal and then at Celia, it seemed that even though they weren't on the Isle Mal's leadership was still recognized  
Celia: "Queenie wants the pink bed, but so does Martina, they started fighting. Then Francine tried to stop them but Queenie attacked her and then Dizzy stepped in. And it all went to hell"  
Dizzy was currently on the floor, she had a clear slap mark  
Mal nodded: "Okay, Dizzy are you alright?"  
Dizzy nodded and got up, she went in front of Mal who looked at the mark, she touched Dizzy's cheek with her cold hand and the little girl sighed in relief, Mal had healed her  
Mal: "Queenie?"  
Queenie: "I'm sorry! I didn't mean too, I was just so nervous..." she looked at Dizzy "I'm sorry Dizzy"  
Mal: "Francine, Dizzy, the next time someone starts fighting you come to me, or you call Merryweather. She is ok. Celia..."  
Celia: "I know I should have done something"  
Mal sighed: "No, I wanted to say that at least you didn't start with curses, good job"  
Celia: "Oh... yeah, of course"  
Ben: "Curses? She has magic?"  
Mal: "Not my kind of magic. Don't worry"  
Queenie and Celia shared a look and then looked at Mal who sighed in resignation  
Mal: "Fine, come here" she opened her arms and the girls went to trap her in a group hug  
Queenie: "We missed you so much"  
Francine: "Nobody would read with me!"  
Martina: "Nobody would hear my poems!"  
Celia: "The Isle is so boring without you!"  
Dizzy: "I missed our night talks!"  
Mal chuckled and Ben saw a single tear rolled down her face, if he hadn't been surprised by the hug surely the tear shocked him enough  
Mal: "I missed you too, girls" she pulled back "But now we have to go to Merryweather's class"

* * *

All the kids were seated, Merryweather was in front of them, between Mal and Carlos  
Ben was answering a phone call  
Merryweather: "So kids. Here we are. I'm going to explain to you what this is. You are in a special kind of school. It's for kids without parents or with parents who work all day long, so they bring them here. You will be in every class you like, there a few that are mandatory and others that are optional. On your desk you have a list" the list appeared magically and the kids were in awe, they had never seen magic "You have a lesson with me, it's called Remedial Goodness 101. Once a day, at the end of the school day"  
Mal saw that Jian was about to protest: "You don't really have to study how to be good, but you will learn other ways to do stuff. Carlos, Evie, Jay, and I also have this class at Auradon Prep"  
Queenie: "Why can't we be with you?"  
Carlos: "You are too young to be in Auradon Prep"  
Francine: "And why can't we be in Remedial Goodness with you?"  
Mal: "Guys, the four of us will be here as much as we can, we will even teach some classes, and there is a bus just for you. You can come whenever you want to visit us. During the holidays we will be together at the Castle, ok? That's in 2 weeks"  
Celia: "Sounds good to me"  
And the other kids nodded, but Queenie and Martina didn't seem very happy  
Mal: "Girls, what's wrong?"  
Queenie: "I would like to have Remedial Goodness 101 with you"  
Mal and Carlos looked at each other and sighed, Mal went near the girls and crouched down in front of the desks  
Mal: "I'll talk with FG about it and we'll see what we can do. But I don't promise anything, ok?"  
The two girls smiled and nodded  
Mal smiled too: "Good"  
Evie and Jay entered the room  
Evie: "Did we lose something?"  
All the kids turned around to watch them and got up but stood still  
Jay: "Geez guys, one at a time please"  
Then Dizzy ran and jumped at Evie's neck, Evie fell backward, the boys went to hug Jay and the girls helped Evie and Dizzy up and hugged, then the boys went to Evie and the girls to Jay  
Dizzy and Queenie were crying, the little twins were on Jay's shoulders, Francine and Martina were talking about clothes and shoes with Evie, Celia was trying to talk with Jay but so were Jian and Francesco. Mal and Carlos went there too and all the Isle kids started talking to each other, there were hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and smiles  
Ben was looking at them, wondering  
Merryweather: "It makes you think, huh?"  
Ben: "Yeah... I wonder.."  
Merryweather: "What their lives were like?"  
Ben shook his head: "I just.. they seem so sweet. How could he do that?"  
Merryweather smiled a sad smile: "He did what he thought was right"  
Ben chuckled: "Please, say what you really think"  
Merryweather: "Speaking as a magic-user, what your father did was.. awful. Putting the villains there might have been a good idea but... leaving them like that... and not checking on them?" she shook her head and then pointed at the kids with the four vks "Those kids are more innocent than those we have here, they have a pure heart... And the laws he imposes on us magic users.. that was just plain torture"  
Ben looked at her confused: "What laws?"  
Merryweather looked at him: "You don't know?" she looked at Mal "I thought... I mean surely you must have heard of them"  
Ben looked at Mal who turned to look at him, her eyes were sad, she sighed and went to him and looked at Merryweather  
Mal: "I didn't tell him. And his father... well you know him" she grabbed Ben's arm  
Ben: "What are you talking about? What laws is he still imposing? I'm the King now... I don't understand.. I.."  
Mal: "Ben" she smiled "You have been King for 2 weeks, the documents are still being transferred to your office... and these laws... they are really old, 20 years old. They are still valid because... I'm not even sure you can change them, Ben"  
Ben was shocked: "Why shouldn't I be able to change them?"  
Mal: "Some kind of laws... you can't change them. For example, the laws that say that killing someone is not right? You can't change that kind of laws"  
Ben got a little closer to her: "Why didn't you tell me?"  
Mal put her hand on his cheek: "Because I wanted you to focus on more easy stuff... like bringing here the kids? Reorganizing the situation of the Isle? And other stuff that we are doing... plus, your father is the one who should tell you these kinds of things"  
Ben pulled away: "You lied to me"  
Mal sighed  
Ben: "What? You used me to bring here the kids? You wanted to make the Isle better and then you all would have gone back there? Is that why you are with me?" he was getting angry  
Mal whispered: "Ben..." she tried to touch him but he took a step back "I'm with you because I care for you.."  
Ben: "Do you? What you said the other day, did you mean it? Can you feel it?" he said that with hatred, he was angry at his father, he knew it but right now he couldn't think straight  
Mal was hurt, she understood why he was angry but she couldn't believe he would say something like that to her, she took a step back: "Ok, I think you need some alone-time to think about this.." she looked at the floor, then at Merryweather who had gone to the kids but had heard everything, like Carlos, Jay, and Evie "I... I'm going back to school. When you cool down, maybe we will talk" she left the room  
Ben looked at her, then he turned and punched the wall: "Damn it"  
Everyone looked at him  
Carlos: "Merryweather, bring the kids in the yard so they can play, we don't have playgrounds on the Isle"  
The kids looked a little mad at Ben, they hadn't heard what he said to Mal but they had seen how hurt she looked, and Mal never showed her feelings  
Carlos, Evie, and Jay went to Ben  
Carlos: "What the hell was that?"  
Ben turned around, still angry: "None of your business"  
The trio looked surprised  
Jay went closer to Ben: "You sure you want this conversation to go this way?"  
Ben: "Or you'll do what?" he looked at Jay, daring him to make a move  
Jay chuckled and then looked serious: "You are a dead man" he punched Ben, who fell backward  
Evie: "Jay!"  
Ben got up and tried to punch Jay, who clearly used to fight, was faster and had moved, Carlos punched Ben in the stomach and the King growled but fell again on his knees, his right hand was sustaining him, his face turned to the ground  
Carlos: "You feel like talking now, little beast?"  
Ben looked up at Carlos and growled, his eyes were getting darker, he got up again: "No"  
Evie: "Guys stop"  
Carlos: "Evie, he deserves it"  
Evie: "Maybe, but you two could kill him"  
Ben chuckled darkly and sarcastically said: "Sure, you guys always talk about how bad you are, how great at fighting you are, how tough your life has been" he was breathing heavily, his mouth was bleeding a little "It's all a bunch of words. I get why Maleficent is so disappointed in you"  
Evie took a step towards him and punched him on the temple, Carlos kicked him on the knee so that he would fall, and Jay grabbed him by the throat  
Jay: "Listen to me, I know you are doing this to provoke us but we don't care"  
Evie: "You should have stayed silent. See, forgiveness is still difficult for us. And I can assure you that we will make sure that Mal will never forgive you"  
Carlos: "Never"  
Then they let him go  
Carlos: "I thought you were different" with disappointment  
Mal came into the room, tears on her cheeks: "What have you done to him?"  
Evie: "What he deserved. You deserve better than him"  
The trio moved towards Mal  
Mal: "No, you didn't" she made to go to Ben, who was on the floor, she gasped seeing him bleeding  
Carlos: "Mal, let's go"  
Mal's eyes glowed angrily: "NO!" her scream seemed a roar, she moved away from Evie and Carlos and ran to Ben, she held his face "Ben? Can you hear me?"  
Ben took one of her hands: "Don't bother"  
Mal shook her head, crying: "No" she touched the cut on his temple, she closed her eyes and said a few words, a wet cloth appeared and she used it to clean off the blood from his neck  
Carlos and Jay grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away, she tried to fight back but it was useless  
Mal: "Let me go!"  
Carlos: "No, we are going"  
They dragged her away from him, they said goodbye to the kids, and then called a car to go back to Auradon Prep

* * *

Mal  
She left the room, the first tear rolled down and was quickly followed by others, she ran to the woods and fell to the ground  
She was angry at him but mostly hurt. She understood that he needed to let off some steam, he was angry and stressed, but those words had hurt her as she had never been hurt before  
And she had bled to death  
She had been killed  
Mal thought back to when she had told him she loved him... it had come so natural... she meant it, she felt it, right?... why would he bring her insecurities back like that  
Then she heard Evie, Jay, and Carlos fight with him  
Why should I care? He deserves it  
But then she felt his pain, it was like it was hers  
She got up and ran to the orphanage to stop the fight  
When she arrived at the entrance of the room and saw her friends hurting him... she was shocked and couldn't move, she didn't even hear them talk to her, she ran to him and then she was dragged away  
The last thing she saw was Ben sitting with his back to the wall, crying, then she was in the car headed to the school  
Mal: "Why would he talk like that?"  
Evie was calmer now: "He was very upset. He got what he wanted, now let him calm down. When he is Ben again, we'll talk"  
Mal nodded, they had arrived  
She went immediately into the bathroom to take a bath and then straight to bed, Evie laid down with her, the boys went to explain to the group what had happened so that they knew why they were angry at Ben  
Evie: "What did you say to him the other day?"  
Mal looked at her best friend: "Don't tell anyone"  
Evie nodded  
Mal: "I told him I loved him"  
Evie: "Oh my God"  
Mal: "Yeah, I know. I wanted to tell you today... but then..."  
Evie: "I'm sorry, Mal..."  
Mal: "I don't know what to do..."  
Evie: "Sleep. Rest a little. These few weeks have been... difficult to say the least. Now, let's do one thing at a time, ok? Now we sleep, we'll think tomorrow"  
Mal nodded and closed her eyes, it didn't take long for her to fall asleep. She was exhausted  
It was like 1 a.m. when she woke up, she decided to take a walk

* * *

Ben opened the door of the Castle and when his mother saw him, he knew that his face didn't look too well  
Belle: "What happened to you?"  
Ben: "Where is he?"  
Belle: "Who?"  
Ben: "My father"  
Belle was confused: "In his office, why? What's wrong?"  
Ben ran up the stairs and entered his father office without even knocking, Adam was there and when he saw his son looking so upset got worried immediately  
Adam: "Ben, what happened? Is it Mal? Did someone attack you while you were out? Is she okay?"  
Ben laughed darkly: "Mal? She hates me right now..." he shook his head "I think I lost her... forever"  
Belle was behind him: "Why would she hate you?"  
Ben: "Because I got angry.. really angry. And I said some things..." he explained what had happened "Something similar happened the other day... Mal.. she helped me... It was like I was changing into some kind of animal..." he looked at his father  
Adam was shocked: "The curse... it got to you too? But FG..."  
Ben: "It doesn't matter now"  
Belle: "Why were you so angry at Mal today?"  
Ben: "I wasn't angry at Mal. I was angry at you" he looked at Adam again "Will you care to explain to me why you didn't tell me about some laws you imposed on the magic-users 20 years ago? And more specifically, why are they still valid?" his eyes were darker, both Adam and Belle recognized the signs of the transformation and got nervous  
Adam: "Ben, I need you to calm down"  
Ben: "Calm down? I'll calm down when you stop lying to me!" he hit the desk with his closed fist  
Belle: "Ben?" he looked at her "We didn't lie. We told you about those laws many years ago... you were 11 years old, I think, when you started asking questions about magic... and we answered. We told you everything"  
Ben was shocked, his eyes turned to their normal color: "You did? Then why don't I remember them?"  
Belle: "Maybe because it happened 6 years ago? You need a little help to remember it. Sit down and we can talk" he did as told  
Adam took a few documents from a drawer: "I made a mistake... I was so afraid of magic... that I made these laws. The magic-users need a special certificate to use their magic, that certificate needs to be signed by me. I control their magic. These are the laws you are talking about. They are still valid because you didn't change them. They aren't in your office, probably because you have already so much work to do..."  
Ben was looking at his father in complete shock  
Belle was worried: "Ben? Where is Mal?"  
Ben looked at his mother: "I don't know... she left me... she was crying... Evie, Jay, and Carlos... they weren't exactly happy with what I said to Mal, and they did this to me... but I asked for it.."  
Adam: "What do you mean with 'I asked for it'?"  
Ben: "I said bad stuff to them too... like.. really mean stuff"  
Belle: "And they punched you? And Mal didn't do anything?"  
Ben: "She wasn't there when it happened... and when she saw what they had done she tried to help but they dragged her away..."  
Adam and Belle shared a look, it was weird  
Adam: "Ben, what did you say to them? They adore you, they would never hurt you"  
Ben looked at his father with tears in his eyes: "I was so mean... I said... I said that I understood why they were a disappointment to Maleficent..."  
Adam and Belle gasped  
Belle: "Ben! Why would you say something like that?"  
Ben started crying: "I wanted them to hurt me... like I had hurt Mal.."  
Belle: "Oh dear..."  
Ben was clearly desperate, he held his head in his hands and kept crying, his parents went to sit on his sides and hugged him  
Belle: "It's going to be alright, honey. Everything will be alright, I promise" she kissed him on the head and then looked at her husband, who smiled sadly at her

* * *

When Evie got up and didn't see Mal, she wasn't worried, she thought her friend had probably gone to the cafeteria  
When she went to check and she didn't found her, she thought that maybe she was in the art class. Nothing to worry about  
When she went there and she didn't found her, she thought that maybe she was with Audrey  
She was at Audrey's door, trying not to worry  
Audrey opened the door and was surprised to see Evie there: "Hey Evie, you needed something?"  
Evie smiled: "Hey Audrey, is Mal here?"  
Audrey frowned: "No, why?"  
Evie took a step back, she started to pace back and forth, now she was worried  
 _Where are you, Mal?_  
Audrey: "Evie?"  
Evie kept pacing  
Audrey looked at Lonnie, who was inside the room, she was putting on her shoes, she shrugged  
Evie tried to find her magically, her eyes glowed gold. She couldn't find her anywhere  
Audrey: "Evie!" the girl looked at her "What is going on?"  
Evie: "Can I come in?"  
Audrey step away and Evie got in, she stopped in the middle of the room  
Evie: "I can't find her. She fell asleep next to me but when I woke up, she wasn't there. I looked in the cafeteria, the art class.. here..."  
Audrey: "Ok, let's think. She was really upset about what happened with Ben. Maybe she is with him?"  
Evie shook her head: "No. I know her, she is too upset to confront him now. Mal doesn't do well with feelings"  
Lonnie: "What about the gym?"  
Evie: "I didn't think about it. I'll go check there"  
Audrey: "I'll try the Tourney field"  
Lonnie: "I'll try again the cafeteria. Maybe she was at the gym earlier and now she is getting breakfast"  
The three girls left the room and went searching for their friend

* * *

Mal woke up and at first, she didn't know where she was: "What the...?" but then she recognized the ruins  
She was at the Enchanted Lake, she remembered flying in the sky to get there. She got up, it was still dark. She decided to get in the Lake. She couldn't swim, but she felt like she needed to get in there. She took off her shoes and the jumpsuit and entered. Immediately she felt better  
She looked up at the sky and saw the stars and she felt at peace  
The water was warm, and even if it was December she didn't feel cold, she closed her eyes and relaxed  
Her thoughts went to Ben, she wasn't exactly angry but she was disappointed. She wanted to forgive him but she wasn't really good at that, she had been hurt so many times by so many people, but from him it was different, he was her home, she had confessed her greatest fears, she had let him see her vulnerability...  
Why would he do something like that?  
Ben had always been nice, gentle, patient, understanding, selfless, trustworthy...  
Ben... why did you have to hurt me like that?  
She could feel him on the edge of her consciousness, he was thinking about her too  
He was sorry and hurt and angry at himself, but she wasn't ready to talk to him and he knew it, so he wasn't trying to reach for her. He was giving her space and time, and she appreciated that  
At that moment she was in her magic form, she could see her reflection on the water but there was something different. She didn't seem angry or evil. She looked a lot like her mother did before meeting Stefan  
It seemed like the Lake had heard her thoughts because the image of her mother appeared in front of her  
Mal whispered: "Mom..."  
The Maleficent in front of her was beautiful, she didn't seem angry either. Her eyes were a beautiful green, her full red lips were curved in a smile. It was clear that she was powerful and she could be dangerous but she had a peaceful aura  
Nothing like the Maleficent of the present  
Mal, like the image of her mother, had an aura of power and danger. But her eyes were showing her hurt  
Mal sighed: "I wish I had met you then..."  
The image of her mother couldn't answer but the look that Mal received wasn't the usual glare Maleficent gave her, and for a moment she was happy just like that  
Mal looked at the full moon and then closed her eyes, she took a deep breath and let her senses work their way through the forest  
She could hear the animals sleeping, the wind moving the leaves of the trees, the water falling from the waterfall. She could feel the wind in her hair, the warm water on her body, the light of the moon on her skin, the magic all around her relaxing her mind and working her way through her body making her feel the electricity of her powers  
She had never been more at peace since coming to Auradon  
She took a deep breath again and then completely immersed in the water, she stayed under the water for a few seconds and then emerged from the water  
She magically dried herself, dressed again and flapped her wings, and took off

* * *

Evie, Audrey, Lonnie, and Jane were waiting in the garden for Mal, they saw her figure approaching from the Tourney field  
Mal was surprised to see them there: "Hey, is everything all right?"  
Evie: "No. Why did you leave in the middle of the night without telling me?"  
Mal: "Because you were asleep. I don't understand. Didn't you find my note?"  
Evie was taken aback: "Note?"  
Mal: "Yeah, I left it on your nightstand. I also told Carlos that I was taking a walk... didn't he tell you?"  
All the girls looked surprised and embarrassed now  
Jane: "We didn't really talk to the guys... we didn't want to worry Carlos.."  
Mal raised an eyebrow: "Ok... Now, can we go to the cafeteria? I'm starving"  
Evie: "Sure, let's go"  
They went to the cafeteria and ate their breakfast, then Mal and Lonnie decided to play football and Jane joined them, Jay, Carlos, Chad, and James joined the girls in the Tourney field and decided to play too while Doug joined Evid and Audrey at the bleachers and they did their homework


	48. A New Day

Mal was looking in the distance  
She had heard Ben through their connection, but she still needed time and he knew it  
Ben had approached Jay, Carlos, and Evie two days after their fight, he had apologized. They told him they would wait for Mal's decision  
 _Pst decision... it's not like I can actually be mad at him forever_  
The truth was Mal had had time to think about a lot of stuff in the past few days, she knew she could potentially live without him but she didn't want to, she loved him, and for what FG had seen of their connection she had let them know that their relationship was going to be a huge change for Auradon  
Mal couldn't care less about Auradon, but she could feel the magic about her future with Ben, she had decided to visit the Moors, she wanted some advice and she found exactly what she needed  
Between peace and comfort, the fairies told her a lot of stories about Maleficent and they gave her the advice she needed  
So when she came back she knew what she needed to do  
That's how she found herself going to the Enchanted Lake and calling Ben, his answer came immediately, he was actually already going there  
Mal smiled, they both found peace in the place where so many of their dreams had taken place  
Ben arrived and cautiously walked towards her, she was facing the Lake, her feet in the water. He sat near her and waited for her to talk first  
Mal: "Thank you for letting me have my space these past few days. It helped a lot"  
Ben simply nodded  
Mal turned to look at him: "I love you" Ben smiled a little "And I understand why you were so upset, I understand that you needed to let it out and I'm glad you chose me because it means you trust me. But what I don't understand is why you said all those awful stuff. I've never been so hurt... and I died like a hundred times.. so you know.."  
Ben looked at her, his eyes were puffy and red: "I'm so sorry, I can't find the right words to tell you how sorry I am. FG visited me because my parents were worried it was somehow connected to my father's curse... and they were right" he looked away "Apparently, his curse left some traces in me. The anger. It is no excuse for those words.. and I don't expect you to forgive me but I just wanted you to know that.."  
Mal smiled: "Ben, look at me" he didn't so she raised his chin and turned his face gently towards her "Ben? Of course, I forgive you. I forgave you immediately after those words came out of your mouth. I love you, I always will no matter what. Do you believe me?"  
Ben: "I love you too"  
Mal kissed him lightly and then backed away a few inches  
Ben: "I missed you so much" he hugged her and she put her head under his chin "You really forgive me?"  
Mal lifted her head and kissed him again, this time with more passion, Ben didn't expect it so he fell on his back bringing Mal with him  
They separated and chuckled  
Ben kissed Mal's cheeks, her nose, her chin, forehead, eyelids, and between every kiss he repeated "I love you"  
Mal: "Are you up for a swim?"  
Ben was surprised: "You can't swim"  
Mal: "Who said I will be the one swimming?"  
Ben laughed and nodded  
They took off their clothes but kept their underwear, Ben stared a little at Mal's body  
Mal noticed and smirked: "Are you enjoying the view?"  
Ben blushed: "Very much"  
Mal laughed and went into the Lake, Ben followed her immediately, they stayed where Mal could touch the bottom of the Lake, they kissed for a while  
Everything was perfect

* * *

It had been a few weeks since the fight and the experiment with the kids of the Isle was going great, so Ben had already programmed the arrival of the other Innocents  
Mal was planning the school project, the works for the hospital had already begun  
Jane and Doug were helping the kids in the orphanage with some subjects like maths or science  
Carlos and Lonnie were taking care of the baking class  
Jay and Mal were taking care of the gym class  
Evie and Audrey were in charge of the Fashion lessons for some of the girls  
Celia: "Mal? Could you help me with this essay?"  
Mal sat with the girl on her bed: "Sure"  
They worked on the essay for a few hours  
Celia: "Thanks Mal"  
Mal: "Of course"  
Celia: "Mal?"  
Mal: "Yes?"  
Celia: "How did you forgive Ben?"  
Mal: "Well... I... uhm" she sighed "I love him. And what he did? Well, it wasn't pleasant of course but he didn't mean to hurt me... he wasn't being himself"  
Celia: "Was it easy?"  
Mal: "Forgiving him, yes. But here is the thing, you can forgive and still have the right to feel mad. I forgave him almost immediately, but it took me a few days to stop being mad at him"  
Celia nodded

* * *

Mal and Ben were in what had become their office, working  
Mal was writing down the details for the school project, Ben was signing some documents, checking the laws, then he turned to look at his girlfriend  
Ben caressed her cheek and Mal turned to look at him  
Mal smiled: "What?"  
Ben: "I love you"  
Mal chuckled: "Thanks"  
Ben laughed  
Mal: "I love you too"

* * *

Carlos and Jane were in the kitchen baking some biscuits  
Jane looked at Carlos, it had been a few weeks and it was almost Christmas, and she wanted to say something to him  
Jane: "Carlos?" he turned to look at her "I have to tell you something"  
Carlos got worried Is she trying to dump me? I have to tell her...  
Carlos: "Wait! First I have to tell you something"  
Jane was surprised: "Uhm... okay"  
Carlos sighed: "Jane, you know my life hasn't been normal.. and I haven't actually had any kind of relationship like the one I have with you but... when I look at you" he looked at her in the eyes "I feel at peace and at the same time I feel like my heart is going to explode. And I love that feeling because I have never been happier" he looked at the oven "What I'm trying to say is... I think... I mean I'm pretty sure that what I feel for you is... love.."  
Jane gasped, she didn't expect this, she felt the same of course but she didn't think he was ready to say it  
Carlos: "If you don't feel it too... it's totally ok"  
Jane shook her head: "I love you too!"  
Carlos was surprised, he smiled: "Really?"  
Jane chuckled: "Yes!"  
They both took a step forward without noticing, they had never kissed because Carlos knew it would have been Jane's first kiss and he wanted it to be special, respecting her time  
Carlos: "Jane?"  
Jane: "Yes?" she was blushing  
Carlos: "Could I kiss you?"  
Jane simply nodded. And they kissed. It was perfect

* * *

Christmas was approaching, Auradon Prep and the orphanage were already decorated, there was mistletoe everywhere (something that shocked the Isle kids because they knew it for being poisonous), there was a tree in the hall, the cafeteria, the common room...  
Mal: "Why do they decorate so much?"  
Evie: "I simply love it! I already organized our closet with the perfect outfits for every day"  
Mal, Carlos, and Jay sighed under their breath: "Of course you did"  
Ben arrived running in the cafeteria, Jane, Audrey, Chad, Lonnie, and Doug were right behind him.  
The vks were surprised, they got up, searching for danger  
Mal was worried: "What? What's wrong? What happened?"  
Ben: "They are coming"  
Jay: "Who?"  
Jane: "From the Isle" she was trying to catch her breath, Carlos went near her with his chair and she sat "Thank you"  
Mal: "What? Who's coming?" she was getting more worried  
Ben: "The kids from the list"  
The vks sighed in relief, sat down, and glared at the aks  
Evie: "You worried us, for the love of Gothel"  
Jay: "Couldn't you start the sentence with that?"  
Mal shook her head: "Why do you always need to be so dramatic?"  
James and Azura arrived at that moment and sat  
James: "Have they already done their dramatic entrance?"  
Mal: "Yeah" she gave him a French fry and to Azura, she gave a smile and a wink, they had become fast-friend  
The others aks glared at them and huffed  
Ben: "They are coming this afternoon"  
Carlos: "Cool..."  
The vks were still eating then they stopped all of the sudden  
Jay: "What do you mean 'this afternoon'?"  
Ben smiled: "I mean that they are already on their way to come here"  
The vks got up again  
Mal: "We have to prepare"  
Evie: "Oh my God, what will we wear?"  
Carlos: "The room is a mess!"  
Jay: "Let's go now!"  
They left running, the aks laughed and sat at the table

* * *

The vks entered the room  
Mal: "All right, Evie you take care of the outfits" Evie nodded "Carlos go in the shower now" Carlos entered the bathroom "Jay, we clean up the mess"  
Once Evie was done with the outfits Carlos had finished the shower, so he dressed while she went in the shower  
Mal and Jay finished cleaning up the room, it was Friday and FG had already permitted them to throw a sleepover with the Isle kids (the younger ones were going too), the bunk beds were ready  
Evie was dressed and she was doing her make up: "Mal go now"  
Mal took a fast shower, then exited, Evie grabbed her  
Evie: "Come here" Mal sat at the make up chair (that's how they called it)  
Jay went in the shower, Evie finished Mal's make up and she went to dress, Jay exited the bathroom and sat at the chair to put his usual line of eyeliner under the eye and then went to dress himself  
Mal: "Are we ready?"  
They all looked at each other  
Mal was wearing her favorite black skinny jeans with a purple jumper, a purple and green beanie, and a pair of green sneakers. Evie was wearing a blue dress with black tights, a red leather jacket, and a pair of stiletto heels. Carlos was wearing black Jean's, a white and blue jumper, a blue beanie, and a pair of black and blue sneakers. Jay was wearing a pair of black cargo pants, a red jumper, and a pair of black boots.  
Evie: "No, Jay your eyeliner"  
Jay went in front of the mirror and cleaned the line: "Now?"  
Evie: "Perfect"  
Mal: "Ok, the room is clean, the bathroom too. We are dressed, Jay's eyeliner is perfect"  
Carlos: "Let's go"  
The vks went into the garden and stayed there

* * *

Ben and the others knocked at the vks door but nobody answered  
Jane: "I think I know where they are"  
Everyone turned to look at her  
Jane: "Garden"  
They went out and they did find the vks standing in the garden, waiting for the bus  
Ben: "Guys?" the four turned around "What are you doing here?"  
Jay: "Waiting"  
Ben looked at his watch: "It'll take another half an hour at least"  
Evie: "We'll wait here"  
Doug: "Standing?"  
Mal and Carlos shrugged: "Why not?"  
Audrey was holding hands with Azura: "It's cold"  
The vks laughed  
Evie: "On the Isle, it's way colder"  
James: "But won't you get tired standing for half an hour?"  
Mal: "You Auradonians are really lazy"  
Carlos: "They are almost here"  
Ben: "Well, since we are here" he went to stay between Evie and Mal  
James: "I'll stay too"  
A bus arrived, it was from the orphanage, the kids got out, hugged the other vks  
Mal: "Go in our room, it'll be like a surprise"  
Jian nodded and they ran to the vks room  
A bus was heard  
Mal: "They are here!"  
Ben took a step forward and a deep breath  
Evie: "I'm about to cry"  
The bus stopped, and four teenagers got out  
There was a girl, with black curly hair, fair skin, and blue eyes, she wore a deep purple and black long high waist dress, it had a square neckline, a pair of black sneakers and a leather jacket. Then there were three boys: one had sandy brown hair and green eyes, he wore brown leather pants, a t-shirt, and a brown leather jacket, and a pair of boots, he was the shortest out of the four; one had black hair and black eyes, he was Asian, he wore black leather pants, a white blouse, and a black leather jacket, a pair of black sneakers, he was taller than the girl; the last one had brown hair and blue eyes, he wore a pair of jeans, a black blouse, a pair of black and white sneakers, he was the tallest  
Carlos ran to hug Gil, Evie went to hug Liang, Mal threw herself at Richard (much to Ben's dismay), Jay smiled at Mary and went to hug her  
James locked eyes with the girl and was speechless, he felt like he had held his breath for his entire life and only then was able to breathe  
Mary was looking at him too  
Richard and Mal were talking until Ben cleared his throat, they all turned to look at him  
Ben blushed: "Sorry" he smiled "I'm Ben, I'm happy to welcome you to Auradon"  
The isle kids shared a look, Mal went to stand by Ben and nodded  
Richard smirked: "I'm Richard, son of Prince John"  
Mary smiled and bowed: "I'm Mary, oldest daughter of Gothel"  
Gil was shy but said: "I'm Gil... I'm the son of Gaston... the only one alive"  
Mal smiled sadly and went to hug him  
Liang: "I'm Liang, oldest brother of Jian"  
Richard turned to look at Mal: "So, love where are the others?"  
Ben frowned but Mal smiled again  
Mal: "Surprise!"  
Carlos: "Let's go inside"  
Ben was leading the group, beside him there was James, Carlos and Evie were talking with Gil, Jay was talking with Richard and Liang, Mal was talking with Mary

* * *

They arrived in front of the vks room  
Jay: "You ready?"  
The four Isle teens nodded, Mal knocked on the door that opened  
The kids inside: "Surprise!"  
Mary ran to hug Francine, that was dressed just like her oldest sister, Richard went to hug Francesco and Martina, Liang went to hug his brother Jian, and Gil went to hug Squearky and Squirmy, then they all hugged in a group hug  
Mary: "How are you? Did you eat?"  
Francine: "Yes yes. Here the food is great"  
Mary smiled and nodded, then she hugged her sister again  
Gil: "Your father asked me to tell you that he loves you and miss you very much" the twins started crying "Also, Ursula and Uma said the same thing"  
Queenie: "How is my mother?"  
Mary: "Don't worry, she is ok. But she misses you" she turned to look at Dizzy "Your grandma, your aunt, and your mom miss you"  
Dizzy started crying, Evie went to comfort her  
Celia: "What about my dad?"  
Liang: "Oh you know him, he's the usual moody man" Celia smiled at that "He sent this card for you" it was an ace of hearts  
Richard turned to look at Mal: "I guess we are all sleeping here"  
Mal nodded: "This Monday the holidays start, we can go and stay at the Castle" she looked at Ben "Apparently Christmas is a big deal around here"  
Ben smiled and went to stay by her side, he side hugged her: "It is"  
Mary: "Why there are mistletoes everywhere? It's dangerous"  
Evie: "It's a very romantic thing. When you walk under a mistletoe you have to kiss whoever is in front of you"  
Richard: "Even if you aren't a thing?"  
Evie nodded  
James was still looking at Mary: "I haven't introduced myself. I'm James, Rapunzel's son"  
Mary smiled a little and did a little curtsey  
Mal: "So, the school is practically empty, wanna do a tour?"  
Richard: "Sure, lead the way princesses"  
Ben frowned again: Who the hell does he think he is?  
Mal laughed: "Come on then"  
Ben looked at her, she hadn't noticed his discomfort and was acting like everything was normal... maybe this Richard was one of the many adventures Mal had... Ben wasn't judging... he was just... he didn't know how to call this emotion...  
 _Jealous?_  
Ben looked at Mal again, it had been her voice in his head to suggest it... but maybe she was right  
Mal grabbed his hand and locked eyes with him before winking at him, Ben relaxed immediately  
They exited the room and went to the cafeteria  
Jay: "Here is where the magic happens. Food"  
Everyone laughed  
Then FG appeared  
FG: "Hello, you must be the new students, I'm Fairy Godmother, but you can call me FG. I'm the headmistress if you need anything come to my office and I'll help. Also, we will see each other in the Remedial Goodness 101 class, with Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie" she smiled sweetly "Good tour  
She left to go back to her office  
Evie: "Let's take a look at the classrooms"

* * *

Carlos: "What do you think?"  
Mary: "It certainly is different from Evil Palace"  
Mal: "Definitely"  
Mary: "Uma told us about some girl..." she looked at Carlos with a knowing smile "Jane? Your girlfriend?"  
Carlos smiled: "Yeah, she is my girlfriend"  
Richard: "Well, will you introduce us?"  
Carlos: "Sure"  
Evie: "She is with the others, in Audrey's room"

* * *

Mal knocked at Audrey's door  
Audrey's muffled voice: "A moment!" then she opened the door to find almost 20 people there "Uhm...?"  
Mal smiled: "Dear niece, I want to introduce you to four more of us" she indicated them "Mary, Gil the blondie, Liang, and Richard the lover boy"  
Richard took a step forward and took Audrey's hand and kissed it: "My pleasure"  
Audrey chuckled and blushed: "Hello, I'm Audrey. Come in"  
Everyone entered, Audrey's room was one of the largest (like Ben's) so it could fit a lot of people  
Jane and Lonnie were on Audrey's bed, Chad and Doug were at her desk, Azura was on the red armchair  
Mal, Evie, Queenie, Celia, and Dizzy went to sit on the bed too, Francine and Martina went to sit on the sofa with Squearky and Squirmy, Francesco sat with Jian on the floor near the sofa  
Gil, Liang, Mary, and Richard stand by the door with Carlos and Jay  
Ben and James went to stay near the desk with Doug and Chad  
Audrey went to stay in the armchair near Azura  
Mal: "Well go on, introduce yourself"


	49. A New Start

Mal: "Well, go on, introduce yourself"  
Richard: "My name is Richard, son of Prince John. I'm pretty popular on the Isle" he winked at Mal, who chuckled "And I throw the best parties"  
Mal and Evie: "Definitely"  
Richard: "And I offer many services"  
Mal: "Ok, let's stop you there"  
Richard laughed  
Chad: "Why? What services?"  
Jay: "You all are not ready yet"  
The aks frowned up  
Audrey: "I think we are"  
All the vks shared a look, they all knew what services Richard was talking about, some more than the others... but to share it with the aks...  
Doug: "Come on, we aren't so innocent as you may think"  
Evie looked at him while Mal looked at Ben, then shared a look  
Evie: What do you think?  
Mal: They will know about it sooner or later...  
Carlos stepped into the conversation: Why not?  
Jay simply shrugged, he was ok with it  
Mal sighed and nodded at Richard  
Richard: "Ok, then. Let's say that the services I offer... well they are about pleasure"  
Jane frowned like the others aks: "Pleasure?"  
Azura: "You mean like massages?"  
Celia rolled her eyes: "Sex. He means sex"  
All the aks were shocked  
Chad: "Oh"  
Lonnie: "You sold your body?"  
Mal snapped: "No, he didn't. But some of us may have done it. To survive. Wanna say something about that?"  
Lonnie blushed, embarrassed  
Ben: "Some of you?" he was looking at Mal  
Evie: "Mary, your turn"  
Mary nodded: "I'm Mary, Gothel's oldest daughter" she looked at James and winked "I like having fun too"  
James blushed to everyone's surprise  
Gil: "I'm Gil, the last son of Gaston"  
Liang: "Liang, brother of Jian" he pointed at his brother who smiled  
Jay: "Well, that was fun and dandy but I think we should move the party to our room, then dinner, and then bedtime"  
The vks nodded  
Ben: "Wait. Party?"  
Mal: "Don't worry, we'll keep it... normal"  
Audrey: "Wait Mal" Mal turned to look at her "Can't we like... join you?"  
Mal smiled: "Princess, I think that for this party it's better if we Isle kids stay alone. Maybe the next one, all right?"  
Carlos: "You can throw a party of your own"  
Ben: "Sure, you guys need some time to stay together" he smiled at Mal to reassure her it was ok "We can have a sleepover like when we were kids" he kissed Mal on her cheek "Go on and have fun"  
Mal: "Thank you"

* * *

Dinner time  
The vks were already there, they had moved the tables so that they all could stay close  
What Ben noticed immediately though wasn't that, he was searching for Mal and he found her, near Richard who had an arm around her  
Ben growled a little, he wasn't the only one who had seen something he didn't like  
Doug was watching Evie, Liang had his arm around her  
Lonnie and James glared at Jay and Mary that were really close (too close in Lonnie's opinion)  
Jane was watching with a smile Carlos was talking with the little twins, he seemed to notice her gaze and looked where she was, he waved at her  
Ben: "Well, you have already started"  
The vks looked at him  
Richard smirked and got up: "Your Highness, please forgive us. But we were famished"  
Ben got more irritated, but smiled anyway, he was trained to keep his emotion in check when he was in public: "Of course, don't worry" he looked at Mal that was watching Richard and chuckling  
Evie got up and went to hug Doug  
Jay smiled at Lonnie while Mary turned to look at Mal and whispered something to her  
The younger kids were focused on the food  
The aks went to grab food and sat at the table with the vks  
Richard: "So, Ben. I was told you are particularly close to my princess Mal"  
Ben looked at Richard: "Yeah, I'm her boyfriend" he looked at Mal to see what would be her reaction  
Richard: "Boyfriend?" he looked at Mal "You used to hate labels when we were on the Isle"  
Ben frowned: "What is that suppose to mean?"  
Richard: "Oh, just that Mal here used to be a lot more fun once, isn't that right Mary?"  
Mary nodded: "Definitely"  
Mal chuckled: "All right guys, that is in the past. I'm taken now"  
Richard: "Wait, for real?"  
Mal: "Yes"  
Richard sighed in disappointment: "Not even sleeping?"  
Mal: "Not with you" she looked at Mary "With Mary probably yes"  
Ben: "Sleeping?"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "Yes, sleeping. You know, when you are really tired and you go to bed and close your eyes?"

Lonnie: "So, you are a good friend of Mary, huh?"  
Jay looked at her and laughed: "Lon, don't worry. We are family, our mothers are cuisines"  
Lonnie: "Oh"  
James heard that too and glanced at Mary

Mary: "So, James... you are the child of the enemy of my mother, right?"  
James: "Uhm.. yeah I guess..."  
Mary tilted her head: "You got a girlfriend?"  
James blushed: "No"  
Mary smiled: "Boyfriend?"  
James shook his head  
Mary: "Interesting" she looked at Mal "Is he good?"  
Mal: "Luv, he is perfect" she winked  
Mary turned to look at James, she leaned toward him: "So, would you like to be my personal tour guide of Auradon?"  
James: "Sure"  
Mary smiled and she shared a knowing look with Mal  
Richard: "You know Ben, I really care about Mal. You hurt her, you die" he put his arm around Mal again "She is like my soulmate, did you understand?"  
Ben raised an eyebrow: "She is my everything, I would die and kill for her"  
Mal smiled sweetly at him  
Richard was surprised but nodded  
The kids started yawning  
Evie: "All right, let's go to bed"  
Evie kissed Doug deeply, then pulled back: "Goodnight, my prince"  
Doug was red like a tomato: "Goodnight, my princess"  
Jay: "Still mad?"  
Lonnie crossed her arms: "I don't know what you are talking about"  
Jay laughed, he took her chin in his hand and kissed her: "You are the only one I want"  
Lonnie smiled  
Carlos: "You look beautiful tonight"  
Jane blushed: "Thank you. You are too sweet"  
Carlos shrugged: "I'm trying to be the boyfriend you deserve"  
Jane took his face in her hands and kissed him, then she pulled back: "You are perfect"  
Carlos was surprised but smiled happily: "Goodnight Luv"  
Jane: "Goodnight"  
Mal had her arms crossed, Ben was avoiding her eyes, she shook her head: "I can't believe you"  
Ben looked at her: "What?"  
Mal: "Are you seriously jealous?"  
Ben: "Of course not" he crossed his arms too  
Mal raised an eyebrow, she turned to look at Evie who joined them: "Evie, you go ahead. I have to talk with Ben" Evie nodded and everyone but Mal and Ben left the cafeteria  
Mal: "What's the problem?"  
Ben huffed: "Like you don't know"  
Mal was bewildered: "I actually don't"  
Ben looked at her in the eyes: "Can we go take a walk outside?"  
They went outside and started walking in silence, the sky was clear and the stars were bright, Mal was looking at it while Ben tried to find the right words  
They sat in the Tourney field, Mal was still silent waiting for Ben to start the conversation  
Ben: "Listen, I'm happy that you have your friends here... but the way Richard acts around you... it's like you are his... and it bothers me..."  
Mal smiled: "Ben, he acts like that because he knows me since I was born... I spent a lot of time with him...and you know that on the Isle we have different kinds of boundaries. It's not like here, we don't need labels..."  
Ben: "You had a relationship with him?"  
Mal rolled her eyes: "Relationship is a big word"  
Ben looked at the sky, then at Mal: "Did you have sex with him?"  
Mal was surprised by the question, he was usually very embarrassed by that topic: "No, not really"  
Ben: "What is that supposed to mean?"  
Mal looked at him: "It means that I didn't have sex with him. We had a bit of fun, but never... you know"  
Ben: "I don't"  
Mal was tired: "Ben, you know what my mother did to me. Stop being such a baby, I have a past and you know it. I told you about my adventures, he was in some of them. Like Mary and others. Are you jealous of Mary? No, so cut the crap" she got up "I told you I love you, we share True Love, you know me since I was like seven. Seriously, it was kinda funny at first but now you are just annoying" she sighed "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep, and you know what? I think I'm going to share the bed with both Mary and Richard. Goodnight Benjamin" she left  
Ben stayed there and sighed, he knew he had gone too far. He screwed up. Again. Big time. Again.  
He got up and he went home, he texted Doug to tell him that he would join them later

* * *

Ben entered the private living room: "Mommmm"  
Belle chuckled: "Ben, honey, what's wrong?"  
Ben went to sit next to her, he laid down and put his head on his mother's legs: "I argued with Mal"  
Belle was running her fingers through her son's hair: "Tell me"  
Ben: "You know she has more experience than I have... in the physical field of the relationships... Today 4 more isle kids arrived, one of them was particularly affectionate towards Mal and I got... really jealous... Mal at first was ok with it, but then I went too far... she got upset"  
Belle sighed: "Ben, I think you are under a lot of pressure, being King isn't easy. Mal knows it and she supports you and helps you... but you can't expect her to always understand your mood swings. Plus, you know for a fact that she will be with you forever. She is your True Love, this boy... he won't take her away from you"  
Ben looked at her mother: "What can I do?"  
Belle: "You go back and apologize. Ask Chip for a ride"  
Ben nodded

* * *

They were all laughing  
Carlos raised his bottle: "Oh thank you alcohol!"  
Mal already had her own bottle (she had already drunk 4), Mary was kissing her neck  
It wasn't like Mal was cheating on Ben, she needed some comfort. Mary and she were really close friends and that was something close friends would do for one another, at least on the Isle  
The vks were having fun, some of the kids were sleeping  
A knock interrupted them  
Evie got up: "Coming!" she opened the door and found Ben there, she frowned "What are you doing here?"  
Ben: "Is Mal here?"  
Evie: "Give me a second" she closed the door and looked at Mal "Hey, Ben is here"  
Mal huffed: "So?"  
Evie: "So, get up and come talk to your boyfriend"  
Mal got up and went to open the door: "Only because it's you, E" she opened the door, the bottle still in her hands, she bowed "Hello Your Highness, how may I help you?" she was slurring her words  
Ben looked at her, she was clearly drunk: "Are you drunk?"  
Mal deadpanned: "You came over here to tell me something I already know?"  
Ben: "No, I came to apologize... I shouldn't have said those things I'm sorry and..." he noticed something on her neck "What's that?"  
Mal: "Mary"  
Ben: "What.. what do you mean?" She didn't want to be with him anymore?  
Mal huffed: "Ben, it's a thing we girls on the Isle do. It's not cheating. It's just kissing, not on the lips. If it really bothers you, it won't happen again, all right?" she was getting angry again  
Ben sighed, she was ready to change everything about her life for him, she had already made big steps, she had chosen good, she gave up a lot of things... and if it was really that simple...  
Ben: "I'm not here to fight. You are having fun, it's a party. Just.. don't do it outside your room? It would be difficult to explain to the press"  
Mal was surprised: "You.. are letting me do this?"  
Ben: "Well, if you and Mary are really just friends and it's just something for fun... who am I to judge?"  
Mal raised an eyebrow  
Ben: "It's not like I'm super excited about it, but you already gave up so much for me... Besides, it's not why I'm here."  
Mal leaned back on the closed door: "Why are you here?"  
Ben: "To apologize. I'm sorry, I was stupid. I was really nervous... and a lot is going on... But it was wrong of me to act like that. Again"  
Mal smiled, she took a step forward and kissed him: "I forgive you"  
Ben smiled: "So fast?"  
Mal: "Yeah, I'm drunk. I don't wanna think. And I love you very much"  
Ben smiled even more: "I love you very much too"  
Mal: "And I'll stop doing that thing with Mary after tonight, you don't have to worry about it. It's like when you play truth or dare and you have to kiss one of your friends, you know?"  
Ben chuckled: "Not really, no. But it's ok"  
Mal kissed him again: "Besides, I prefer kissing you"  
Ben: "Yeah?"  
Mal hummed and kissed him again: "Why don't we go to your room and I show how much I like it?"  
Ben chuckled again: "I don't think it's a good idea" he was caressing her back "You should go back to your party, have fun" he kissed her again "I'll see you tomorrow"  
Mal: "Fine. See you tomorrow"  
Mal got back in the room, she sat near Mary again and they started their game again  
It was almost dawn when they went to bed  
Mary and Mal shared a bed, Carlos and the twins shared another, Liang slept with his brother, Francine shared the bed with Queenie and Martina, Richard was sleeping with Francesco and Celia, Gil shared it with Jay, Dizzy was sleeping with Evie.  
They were all sleeping peacefully, happy to be together

* * *

At 10 a.m. the aks woke up and went to the cafeteria expecting to see the vks already there  
But there was nobody  
Azura: "Maybe they are outside?"  
Jane: "I don't think so... I think they are still in their room" her eyes glowed, she was trying to find Mal's magic track "Their room"  
The aks didn't know what to do: wait for the vks or eat breakfast?  
There was nobody else in the school, they had stayed because they wanted to meet the other vks, but they would go home the next day. They were still in pajamas  
FG arrived in the room with the former Rulers, they were talking but when they noticed the teens they stopped  
Adam: "Ben? What's going on?"  
Ben: "We were hoping to have breakfast with the vks, but they are still in their room"  
Belle looked at her watch: "But it's 10-30 a.m."  
The teens shrugged  
Belle: "Why don't you sit down and start getting the food? I'll go find them" she smiled  
The teens grabbed their food and sat at the table, FG and Adam sat at another and kept talking  
Belle arrived at the door of the vks room and knocked lightly, she heard a thud and someone mumble, then the door opened  
There she was, Mal. Her hair was messy, she was a little more pale than usual, her eyes were puffy and red, she was wearing a blue and yellow hoodie that was clearly big for her (that Belle recognized, it was Ben's hoodie), and a pair of black sweatpants  
Mal recognized Belle through her semi-closed eyes: "Belle? What are you doing here so early?" she wasn't really steady  
Belle smiled: "Mal, sweetie, it's 10 a.m."  
Mal squinted her eyes a little: "Shhhh. Why are you talking so loud?"  
Belle frowned, she was actually trying to keep her voice the lower possible  
Mal: "And 10 a.m. is too early. It's Saturday"  
Belle: "Mal? Are you all right?"  
Mal: "Yeah, of course" she grabbed Belle's arm "Amazing actually" then she took a step forward and hugged the former Queen "Belle, I want to tell you a secret. I care about you a lot... like I think I love you"  
Belle smiled and hugged the girl back, the girl was just sleepy but she enjoyed hearing Mal saying those things: "I love you too Mal, you are like the daughter I never had"  
Mal had closed her eyes in the meantime and she mumbled: "I love you like the mother I never had"  
Adam arrived at that moment and saw that Belle was a little emotional, hugging Mal  
Adam: "Hey"  
Belle looked at him and smiled: "They went to bed late, so they are still sleeping. At least that is what I'm guessing" she looked at Mal "Can you help me get her back to bed? I think she fell asleep in my arms?"  
Adam chuckled and took Mal in his arms, then he put her near Mary on her purple bed, he got out of the room and closed the door  
Belle: "She told me she loves me like the mother she never had" a tear escaped her eyes  
Adam hugged his wife, he knew she had always wanted a daughter: "Let's go back to the cafeteria"

* * *

It was 2 p.m. the aks were in the common room watching a movie  
Ben: "I wonder what they are doing"  
Mal: "Who?"  
The aks all jumped, they hadn't heard the vks coming, the vks laughed at their surprise faces  
Audrey: "Not funny"  
Richard: "Oh it was hilarious"  
Evie went to sit next to Doug and kissed him on the cheek: "Last night.."  
Mal, Carlos, and Jay laughed and said at the same time: "You mean morning"  
Evie rolled her eyes while all the vks laughed  
Evie: "As I was saying, last night we started a party that ended at dawn so we slept till 12"  
Doug: "But that was 2 hours ago. What took you so long?"  
The others, but Richard and Dizzy, groaned  
Mal: "Evie insisted to make us take a shower and dress up" she leaned on Mary "I just wish we could go back to bed"  
Mary laughed: "You are not used to it anymore"  
Chad raised an eyebrow and looked at Ben, it seemed like he had noticed the closeness between the two girls too: "It?"  
Carlos simply nodded and almost fell but Jay caught him before he could hit the ground, Jane was worried  
Jane: "Carlos, are you all right?"  
Carlos smiled and went near her, he kissed her on the forehead: "I'm fine, beautiful. Just tired"  
Richard: "Plus hangover"  
Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Evie glared at him  
Richard: "What?"  
Jay: "That was supposed to stay between us, idiot"  
Richard smirked and glanced at Ben: "Ops" he had done it on purpose  
Ben rolled his eyes and smiled at Mal: "You ok?"  
Mal smiled a little: "I would very much like to punch someone" she glared at Richard and Ben smiled more "But ok overall"  
Ben actually could feel a little of the hangover of Mal, he turned off the tv, the noise was beginning to get too loud for him  
Liang: "They don't drink?"  
Jay: "No, here it's illegal for them to drink because they aren't 21"  
Every vks aside the core four was surprised  
Celia: "Wanna try?"  
Evie scolded: "Celia!"  
Celia: "What? We won't tell anyone"  
Everyone looked at Richard who huffed  
Doug: "I don't think that is a good idea, alcohol can be very dangerous"  
Carlos and Mal rolled their eyes, Richard huffed again  
Richard: "I drink it since I'm 10. You got nothing to worry about... unless" he smirked again "You scared?"  
Chad: "We are not scared"  
Jane: "I am" the aks looked at her "What? If our parents find out we are in trouble"  
Mary: "And what would happen?" she looked at Mal "Do they hit their children here?" Mal shook her head  
Jane: "No but they will scold us"  
Francine: "Wait. You are scared of some words?"  
Mal: "Words can be dangerous"  
Francine scoffed: "They won't get cursed, will they?"  
James: "No, but alcohol is stupid. You don't need it to have fun"  
Every vks looked at him, offended clearly  
Richard: "Are you trying to say we are stupid?" he took a step forward  
James: "I'm saying that drinking alcohol is stupid"  
The vks weren't buying it  
James sighed and raised his hands in surrender  
Chad had a determined look, he got up: "I'll try it"  
Ben was surprised: "Chad!"  
Chad: "What? We don't have to get drunk. A glass of alcohol won't kill us"  
Martina: "Unless it's poisoned"  
Queenie: "Or from Gothel in her bad days"  
Mary and Francine nodded  
Mal: "Or the one from Prince John"  
Richard: "Damn... we really almost die that night" Mal and Carlos nodded  
Azura got up: "What did you bring?"  
Audrey looked at her: "Are you insane?"  
Azura: "I can't believe I'm saying it but Chad is right. A glass of it or even just a sip won't kill us. And they wouldn't do anything to harm us" she looked at Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay "They are our friends and I trust them. Plus, I'm curious about their traditions. I want to know them better. Don't you? We are judging them for something they thought was normal for their whole lives. And when they came here, they had nobody, but they were forced to adapt to our rules. Nobody even asked them if they wanted to be here"  
Every vks was surprised and taken aback  
Evie got up and went to hug her: "Thank you. Thank you so much"  
Ben: "Well... when you put it like that... we will try it" he got up too "But, we won't get too drunk"  
Mal smiled and approached him, she put her arms around his neck: "Woah Ben"  
Ben chuckled: "Surprised?"  
Mal hummed: "Definitely"  
Carlos: "This is gonna be fun. But, don't feel like you have to drink" he looked at Jane  
Jane: "I'm not going to drink" Carlos nodded and smiled to reassure her it was ok  
James: "Me neither"  
Doug: "I already tried it" everyone looked at him  
Evie: "What?"  
Doug: "It's a tradition of us dwarves. When we hit 15 years old there is this kind of party. You know, I work in the caves with my father and uncles in the summer. Midsummer we do this party where all those who are 15 years old drink a whole cup of beer" he shrugged  
Evie chuckled  
Richard: "Nice"  
Audrey: "I won't either"  
Chad: "I will"  
Lonnie: "I'll try it too"  
Mary: "Let's go then. We will initiate you to a true vks life"  
They entered the vks room, the kids went to sit on their beds. They didn't really care, Dizzy and Queenie were reading a book about fashion Evie gave them, Francine and Celia were playing with Francesco and Jian, the twins went back to sleep.  
The elders sat on the floor in a circle, apart from Jane and Carlos who sat on his bed  
Mal took the bottles and paper glasses and sat between Ben (right) and Mary (left)  
From the left, there was James, Audrey, Chad, Richard, Evie, Doug, Jay, Lonnie, Azura, Liang, Ben, Mal, Mary  
Mal: "All right newbies, I'll give you the glass with a sip of this delicious liqueur. You taste it if you like you can have more. Then we'll see how it goes, all right?"  
Chad: "Go on, little dragon"  
Mal smiled and shook her head, she prepared the drinks and passed them to the circle  
Jay: "Go on then"  
Ben, Chad, Azura, Lonnie, and Doug shared a look and then tried the liqueur, when they took their first taste they coughed gaining the laughs of the vks  
Carlos: "So? How is it?"  
Lonnie: "It's actually good"  
Jay: "You like it?" he was surprised  
Lonnie: "Yeah"  
Chad nodded  
Azura: "More"  
Audrey: "Azura"  
Azura: "What? I'm not drunk. I want to have some fun. Here everything is so boring, everyone is the same. Sometimes breaking the rules is fun. And besides, it's not like from now on I'll drink every day or something"  
Mal: "Audrey, what's the real problem?"  
Audrey looked at her: "I like following the rules"  
Mal smiled: "I think that you are just afraid of changes" she raised her cup "This? It won't change her, she'll stay with you even if she drinks a sip of alcohol"  
Azura: "You are worried I'll dump you for this?"  
Audrey shrugged  
Azura got up and went to sit next to her: "I love you"  
Richard: "Wait! Being gay here is legal?"  
Mal nodded  
Richard: "Oh, nice more clients" he smiled and Mal and Carlos laughed  
Mary was drinking her cup, James was watching her and she knew it but didn't say anything  
Mal: "What do you think?" she was looking at Ben  
Ben: "It's not bad. Can I have more?"  
Mal took their glasses and refilled them  
Richard: "There is more. And there is one stronger"  
Evie: "Richard. It's enough"  
Richard: "What?"  
Evie: "You need to stop"  
Richard got serious now: "I don't know what you are talking about"  
Evie: "You know exactly what I'm talking about"  
Richard: "If it bothers her, she has to be the one to tell me"  
Evie: "She won't and you know it, she really cares about you. But it isn't the same anymore, and it never will be"  
Richard: "You don't know that"  
Evie sighed softly: "They.."  
Richard: "Don't start with the 'love' thing. She doesn't believe that crap"  
Evie looked at him and shook her head, Richard looked at her surprised  
Richard: "No" he shook his head, he looked at Mal "No"  
Evie: "I'm sorry" she grabbed his hand but he moved away  
Richard: "Mal" she looked at him "I need to talk to you"  
Mal smiled: "Now?"  
Richard growled: "Yes Mal now"  
Mal was surprised, she looked at Evie who nodded and then got up: "Ok, let's go take a walk"  
Ben: "Mal?"  
Mal: "It's okay"

* * *

Mal knew what was coming: "Richard, listen..."  
Richard: "No, you listen! Damn Mal! You leave for a few months and you suddenly believe in love? You want to be his Queen? Be good and all that crap?" he took her by the shoulders and shook her violently "You weren't like that"  
Mal: "Richard please" she touched his cheek "Listen to me"  
Richard took a step back, he had hoped to make her angry, her calmness wasn't expected  
Mal: "I'm not suddenly in love. I fell in love in the span of 8 years... I just didn't realize it.."  
Richard: "8 years... what? You know him since September"  
Mal: "No... Richard... I never told anybody but.. we.. We share True Love, we have this like telepathic relationship and we started to share dreams when we were kids..."  
Richard: "And you hook up with all those people, with me, while you were with him?"  
Mal: "No wait! We weren't a thing, I didn't... we weren't in a relationship at the time. We started it like.. a month after I came here"  
Richard: "Ok, so what?"  
Mal: "Richard, on the Isle the relationship we shared... it wasn't serious. I care about you, a lot. I've known you my whole life and I share with you a strong connection but not like the one I share with Ben... I'm sorry, I thought we were on the same page..."  
Richard shook his head: "No, you always knew I care about you more than anyone else, I was with you through everything!" his voice kept getting louder "That guy is the son of the man who tortured us! Who killed you so many times"  
Mal: "I know but I love him!" she was yelling too "I love him and I don't love you! I never did! And you don't love me! Richard damn! For Hades's sake, you don't love me, you never did!"  
Richard: "Love doesn't exist" he went closer to her "He doesn't love you, he is just using you like some kind of campaign, he wants to show you as an experiment!" he grabbed her by the shoulders "He can't give you what I can, what I already gave you"  
Mal scoffed: "So it's about sex?" she rolled her eyes  
Richard shook his head: "No, it's about the fact that I understand everything about you. Does he?"  
Mal didn't answer  
Richard smiled: "Can you even have a normal relationship? With the press and everything? And the rules?"  
Mal looked down then looked at the ceiling: "No, we can't have a normal relationship. Because he is the King, the press will probably be everywhere we go. They will probably even follow me. But honestly? I don't care. At first, I tried to make myself see that this life was like a nightmare... but I've changed." she looked at him, her eyes glowing in warning but he didn't move  
Richard: "And with Mary yesterday?"  
Mal: "I told Ben and he said it was ok"  
Richard: "Well, why can't I have that too?"  
Mal: "I talked with Mary and told her that last night was the last time it would happen. I don't want anyone else but Ben"  
Richard: "If your mother could hear you..."  
Mal scoffed: "I don't care about it"  
Richard: "What can I do to make you see the mistake you are making?"  
Mal: "This isn't a mistake. Just because you don't like it I should stop doing what? Love Ben? I can't. We share True Love"  
Richard: "It's FG's fault... maybe she put a spell on you"  
Mal: "You know she can't"  
Richard: "How do you know it's True Love?"  
Mal: "I'll show you" she closed her eyes and thought: _Ben come here_  
Ben: _Coming_  
She felt him got up and got out of the room, she could feel his surprise and anger at seeing Richard holding her  
Ben: "Mal? You called me?"  
Richard took a step back: "No... it's impossible... you didn't talk"  
Mal opened her eyes and took a step back too, Ben was at her side immediately  
Richard: "Impossible"  
Mal raised an eyebrow: "You have seen me come back from death and you decide that this is impossible?"  
Ben: "What is going on?"  
Mal: "He doesn't believe we share True Love"  
Ben: "Ah. Well, we do so yeah... stop flirting with her, thanks"  
Mal chuckled and kissed him on the cheek  
Richard: "You know what? Ben should know what kind of person you are, Mallie"  
Mal: "Fine. Tell him whatever you want"  
Richard: "Oh no. Let's go back inside and I'll tell all your friends" he went into the room  
Mal and Ben followed him and sat down  
Richard: "To initiate you all to our life I think you should know who Mal is"  
Mary: "Richard stop..."  
Mal: "No, let him"  
Richard: "She is known as the best killer on the Isle. Her first real kill was a 20 years old man, she was 12. That same night she got drunk at a bar. Once I saw her kill someone. It was a cold-blooded murder, in the middle of the day. When she entered the bars of the Evil Part people used to move away" he looked at Mal "She is a murderer. A thief. And also, a slut"  
At that the others vks winced, they knew what he was talking about, and glared at him. They got up as one  
The aks moved away and went to stand on the beds  
Audrey: "You think they will fight?"  
Chad: "Don't know. But what he said... not cool"  
James: "Maybe we should do something?"  
Doug looked at him with his eyes wide open: "You wanna stand between them?"  
Azura: "It wouldn't be a smart move"  
Jane and Lonnie shook their head  
Ben: "Maybe we should like... call FG?"  
Lonnie: "Let's see what happens and then decide"  
Jay: "What did you call her?"  
Richard: "Slut"  
Mary: "You are gonna regret that"  
Queenie pulled out of her pockets two knives  
Even Squearky and Squirmy were ready to fight and looked somewhat threatening  
Richard: "And what are you gonna do about that? Beat me? You would be punished"  
Carlos: "I wouldn't be so sure"  
Evie: "Who would testify to defend you?"  
Richard: "What about them?" he pointed at the aks  
Liang looked at the aks and smiled: "I'm sure they wouldn't tell tales on their friends"  
Richard: "What happened Mal? You have gone soft? You can't defend your honor?"  
Mal: "Move"  
The others moved around the room, forming a circle around Mal and Richard  
Mal's eyes were glowing, she took a knife: "You know what I love the most about my magic?" she smiled "It's almost impossible to trace it unless I want to..." she moved the knife so fast nobody saw it  
A cut appeared on Richard's face, near his left eye  
Richard: "You stupid witch" the cut closed  
Mal: "I could almost kill you" she pointed the knife at his throat "And magically heal you. So. Many. Times. Over and over again" she was almost whispering now "But it would be boring" she took a step forward and moved her hand, she touched his forehead  
Richard fell, moaning in pain: "Stop it!"  
Mal: "Nope"  
Ben got up: "Mal?"  
Mal turned to Ben: "Since he described me as a slut, I'm letting him feel what I've felt" she looked at Richard "He deserves it"  
Ben went to stand at her side: "What you have felt when?"  
Mal through gritted teeth although others aks couldn't hear: "When they raped me"  
Richard: "Stop it!"  
Mal crunched: "Not so funny, huh?"  
Ben: "Mal, come on. Stop it"  
Mal sighed and Richard stopped thrashing around  
Ben turned to look at her: "You can't do that now. You know it"  
Mal looked at him like a baby girl would when being scolded by the mother: "But he called me.."  
Ben: "I know what he did. And he will be punished, but not like this. I'll talk to FG and she will know what to do"  
Mal sighed: "Fine. But I'm not going to apologize"  
Ben smiled: "I didn't ask you to" he looked at the others: "Why don't you go outside. It's a sunny day. We'll take care of this and then come find you"

* * *

FG's office  
Ben knocked, behind him, Richard and Mal were throwing death glares at each other  
Richard: "You are in so much trouble"  
Mal: "As if I care. You deserve it. Plus, I only tried to make you feel my pain, you have no physical damage. Unlike me"  
Richard: "Don't play the victim with me"  
Mal growled  
Ben turned: "Enough!"  
Mal and Richard looked at the ground  
FG opened the door: "Ben? What's going on?"  
Ben sighed in exasperation: "I need your help"  
FG was surprised but moved to let the teens enter  
In the office Belle and Adam were sitting on the couch, they both looked at Mal worried  
Adam: "What happened?"  
Mal and Richard opened their mouth to talk but a look from Ben stopped them  
Ben growled: "Sit down and shut up"  
Belle, Adam, and FG were surprised by his tone. With Mal, he was usually sweet and patient.  
Belle: "Ben!" she didn't like that tone  
Ben: "Please, let me explain. Richard used a.. bad word to insult Mal. And Mal... used magic on him"  
FG sighed: "Mal"  
Mal looked at Ben for permission to talk, he nodded: "He called me a slut" Adam, Belle, and FG gasped in horror, Mal's eyes started glowing again "You wanna know why? Because I don't want to have a relationship with him while I'm with Ben! He called me a slut because my mother sold me! So, I decided to make him feel my pain when they... when they.." she was about to cry, she couldn't breathe, the memories were too painful  
Richard huffed in annoyance and looked away  
Belle went to hug Mal, who let the woman comfort her. Belle glared at Richard  
Belle: "And you let him insult her?" she was looking at Ben  
Ben: "No, but once he insulted her she used her magic. I stopped Mal and came here"  
Belle: "You should have stopped him when he started insulting her"  
Mal tried to defend Ben: "No, it's not his fault"  
Ben: "It's ok Mal. I should have reacted sooner, I was just kind of shocked"  
Adam: "Richard? You have something to say in your defense?"  
Richard: "Yes, she was a slut. It's not an insult. It's a fact. Do you think she is this innocent girl perfect for your son? When we were on the Isle..."  
Ben: "It doesn't matter. I know what happened on the Isle. Stop saying that word"  
Richard: "Anyway, she will get tired of you"  
FG: "Ok, I guess I'll have you two come to detention"  
Belle was shocked: "Two? Mal only let him how she felt"  
FG: "She can't use magic on other people"  
Adam: "Mal, you provoke him physical damage?  
Mal: "No, only mental pain. He lived my memory of that time.."  
Adam: "Can't you make an exception?"  
FG: "I'll make an exception only if Mal apologize"  
Mal: "Never"  
Belle: "Apologize? Why?"  
FG sighed  
Mal got up and slapped her hands on the desk: "Do you know what it feels like to be rape? I was a child! And she sold me. I won't apologize for defending myself. He had no right to call me slut" a tear rolled down her cheek, her eyes still glowing "It hurt so much... that kind of pain never leaves you" she looked at Richard "And he knew... he knew what I've been through. He betrayed me. He deserved what I did to him"  
FG didn't know what to say  
Mal: "Can I let you see?" her voice was a whisper  
FG nodded, she offered her right hand and Mal took it, they closed their eyes. FG had to lean on the desk

_Mal was in her room, in the dark. She didn't know where her brother was, probably with Hades. She was almost 5 years old now and her mother had made sure she hated her father._   
_Speaking of the devil, someone knocked on the door_   
_Maleficent: "Mal, come out"_   
_Mal got up and opened the door, Maleficent was there with a man she didn't recognize_   
_Mal: "Mother"_   
_Maleficent: "To the darkroom, now"_   
_Mal understood something bad was about to happen. To her, specifically. But she couldn't do anything about it, she followed her mother to the darkroom_   
_There was something on the ground, a mattress may be, Mal turned around just in time to see the man hand over a little bag of coins to Maleficent, then her mother nodded to her and left the room_   
_Mal looked at the man as he approached her_   
_Man: "Hello little girl, how old are you?"_   
_Mal: "Five years old"_   
_The man smiled: "My name is Frederick, now we are gonna have some fun, ok? And you are going to be a good girl. If you do as I say, it won't hurt"_   
_Then the man pushed her on the mattress and the nightmare began_   
_She screamed she trashed, she tried to hit him, she scratched him_   
_Nothing stopped him, the more she moved the more violent he became_   
_Once he was finished, he punched her and kicked her. Then he left_   
_Mal stayed there, curled up, moaning in pain_   
_Maleficent came in, saw her daughter on the mattress in pain, closed the door, and locked it_

FG sat down, Mal let her hand go  
FG held her head between her hands, she was crying  
Mal: "I'm sorry"  
FG shook her head: "No, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Mal, you can go. Richard, you are in detention. I guess your friends don't want to see you, you'll sleep in another room for a while, then we'll see"  
Mal got up, took Ben's hand, and left the room


	50. Christmas

Audrey, Chad, James, and Azura had already gone home  
At Auradon Prep remained Doug, Jane, Lonnie, Ben, Mal, Carlos, Evie, Jay  
FG wanted to spend Christmas with Grimhilde so she and Jane would stay at the Castle  
Doug and Lonnie would go home in the afternoon

* * *

 _Ben and Mal_  
Ben and Mal were eating their lunch at the Enchanted Lake  
In the last few days, Mal had been more silent  
The vks hadn't forgiven Richard as he had expected, the other kids had gone back to the Isle with him that morning, they wanted to be sure Uma kept her word  
The day before Richard had asked to go back to the Isle, Ben had asked the vks what they thought of it

* * *

Ben: "Guys, please say something"  
Mal looked around: "Let's vote" they all nodded and Ben sighed in relief  
Mal: "It's his choice if he wants to go back home... Let him go back" she sat near Mary who hugged her  
Evie: "I agree"  
Jay: "Yeah"  
Carlos nodded, he was really disappointed in Richard  
Francine, Celia, Dizzy, Queenie, and Martina voted as a group, Celia spoke: "We think he should leave"  
Squirmy surprised Ben with his cold tone: "He has to leave" his twin nodded  
Liang: "I don't know what to think honestly. He.. disappointed me. Like a lot"  
Jian looked Ben directly in the eyes: "He isn't welcome with us"  
Liang sighed and then nodded at Ben  
Francesco didn't say anything  
Mary: "If only he had tried to apologize or something..." she shook her head "I can't forgive him"  
Gil: "I can't believe he said those things about Mal" he looked at her "Sent him back home"  
Everyone turned to look at Francesco  
Francesco looked at Mal: "Sent him back home and tell Uma what he did"  
Ben was shocked: "Why Uma?"  
Francesco looked at Ben: "Uma will know what to do"  
Ben looked at Mal for an explanation but she was still looking at Francesco, then she looked at Mary who nodded  
Mal: "Ok, then it's decided. He goes home. Evie can you pass me the mirror... I need to make a call"  
Evie gave her the mirror  
Ben: "Ok... I guess I'll have his trip organized... do you want to say goodbye to him or talk to him?"  
Mal got up and looked at him, the mirror was in her hands, she turned to her friends: "I think we should"  
Every vks thought about it and then nodded  
Mal: "Ben, I'll make the call and then we'll see him, is that ok?"  
Ben smiled at her, he could see that she was hurt and disappointed: "Of course, I'll go and tell him that you want to say goodbye. Then I'll tell the driver that he has to go back" he kissed her on the cheek "I'll come back soon, ok?"  
Mal tried to smile, she knew he was trying to comfort her and she appreciated it so she tried to reassure him: "Ok, Benny Boo"  
Ben left the room, Mal used the mirror immediately to call Uma, she waited for her friend to appear  
Uma noticed Mal's bad mood: "Mal? What's wrong?"  
Mal sighed: "Richard. He.. he is going back home" her voice betrayed her  
Uma stayed silent for a minute and studied Mal then spoke: "Ok little squid, why?"  
Mal: "He called me a slut... in front of the others.. for my past...with the... friends of my mother"  
Uma got angry: "He did what?"  
Mal nodded  
Uma huffed: "I can't believe it. Don't worry, little one. I'll take care of it"  
Mal was about to cry: "I just... I don't understand..."  
Uma smiled: "Hey, it's ok. Not your fault. Don't worry"  
Mal nodded. Half an hour later Ben came back with Richard  
Ben: "Here we are"  
Richard: "Well, the King here said you wanted to say goodbye"  
Dizzy, Queenie, Martina, and Celia went in front of him, he clearly softened a little  
Dizzy: "You disappointed us"  
Queenie: "How could you say those things?"  
Celia had her arms crossed: "I hate you"  
Martina: "Goodbye"  
They went to sit on Jay's bed  
Jian: "Hope you have a good trip back home"  
Gil: "I hope you fall and hit your head"  
Mal smiled at that  
Liang looked at Richard and shook his head  
Jay shrugged: "I agree with Gil"  
Francesco: "I don't want to see you ever again"  
Richard winced  
Evie: "I don't understand why you would say those things... clearly, you don't want to even try to be good. I don't know... I don't even know what to say"  
Carlos: "I think that you should apologize before going away. To Mal, and all of us"  
Richard: "I won't"  
Squearky and Squirmy went to stand near Carlos, the twins looked at Richard and spoke their mind at the same time: "We think you are awful"  
Mary and Mal were the last ones  
Mary took a step forward: "You should know that you are banned from the hideout. I'm really disappointed in you.. I had this hope we could live here.. together and be happy.. I don't know" she sighed "I suppose you are your father's son after all... He would be proud"  
Richard looked devastated for a moment, then he looked at Mal: "Mal"  
Mal looked at him: "Richard"  
Richard: "How are you?"  
Mal huffed: "As if you care"  
Richard took a step towards her: "I do care. And you know it"  
Mal looked at the ceiling, trying to fight the tears: "I think it's fair to tell you that Uma will be expecting you tomorrow. She isn't happy about what you did"  
Richard: "You told her"  
Mal looked at him: "I had to. You broke a rule"  
Richard: "So this is it?"  
Mal's eyes started glowing: "You did this. To us"  
Richard whispered: "I'm sorry"  
Mal's eyes showed all the hurt she was feeling: "I thought you said you wouldn't apologize"  
Richard shrugged  
Mal nodded: "Goodbye Richard"  
Richard moved fast and hugged both Mal and Mary, the girls stood still for a moment but then they hugged him back very tight  
Ben: "You can still change your mind, Richard. You too guys"  
Richard: "I will miss you two so much. Be brave. Show them who you are. One day I hope to be ready for this life"  
Mary and Mal nodded  
Richard let them go, he kissed them both on the forehead: "I have to go"  
Mal and Mary looked at him, they hold hands for a moment and then let him go  
Richard left the room  
Ben sighed: "Guys"  
Jay: "No, he has to go back to the Isle..."  
Liang: "Maybe one day he'll come back here. But for now, he has to go"  
Mary: "Ben, we will be going too, at least for a few weeks"  
Mal nodded

* * *

 _Back at the Enchanted Lake_  
Ben: "How are you?"  
Mal shrugged: "Fine"  
They spent the rest of the day there, then got back to Auradon Prep  
Ben followed Mal to her roo  
Mal: "Thank you for today"  
Ben: "Of course"  
Mal out her arms around him: "I love you, you know that?"  
Ben hummed: "No, I didn't"  
Mal smiled a little and kissed him  
Ben pulled back: "I love you too"  
Mal: "See you tomorrow"  
Ben: "Goodnight"

* * *

 _Carlos and Jane_  
Carlos woke up and went to find Jane, he wanted to spend the day with her  
During the festivities, they would be all at the Castle so he wanted to enjoy her company alone  
He arrived at her room and knocked, Jane opened the door and he smiled immediately at her, she was beautiful. Her black and turquoise hair was loose (it had started changing once she began to use magic), she wore the black hoodie he had given her the night before over a blue nightgown and a pair of blue socks. Her eyes were a little puffy, she clearly had just got out of bed  
Jane: "Carlos? What are you doing here?"  
Carlos: "Goodmorning Fairy Jane. I'm here because I was hoping to spend the day with you" he winked at her "I already arranged it all"  
He knew she would say that he didn't have to, but he knew what she liked. They weren't going to go out, they would spend the entire day watching movies with hot cocoa, under a fort made out of blankets, it was something he used to do with Mal when they wanted to hide from their mothers.. well they didn't watch any movie clearly  
Jane smiled: "Carlos, you didn't have to. Plus it's freezing outside, where would we go?"  
Carlos laughed: "Do you trust me?"  
Jane crossed her arms and smiled: "Uhmm I don't know. I have to think about it... I mean you are the son of Maleficent, Cruella, and Hades"  
Carlos rolled his eyes, took a step forward, put his arms around her waist, and held her tight: "Ah ah. Funny"  
Jane put her arms around his neck: "Where will you take me?  
Carlos: "You put on some clothes, though you look beautiful like this too" Jane rolled her eyes "And meet me in the cafeteria"  
Jane kissed him then pulled back: "All right"  
30 minutes later  
Carlos was waiting for Jane when he saw Mal and Ben, he waved at Ben and hugged his sister  
Jane: "Hey Mal! Hi Ben!" she turned to look at Carlos and smiled at him "Hey you"  
Carlos: "Ready?"  
Jane: "Sure, can I have breakfast first?"  
Carlos: "Don't worry. I got it cover" he offered his hand and she took it  
They arrived in the common room and Carlos lead Jane to the corner  
Jane saw the fort: "What is that?"  
Carlos: "A fort. Mal and I used to build them all the time when we were children" he smiled sadly remembering those times "Come on" he squatted down and entered  
Jane raised an eyebrow but copied his movements, what she saw was amazing: "Carlos! Oh my God! It's amazing"  
Carlos smirked  
From the outside, the fort seemed so little, but inside there was a little coffee table with breakfast, two cups of hot cocoa, and something to eat, then there was something that resembled a bed with blankets and a laptop  
Jane was moved by this, it was so romantic  
Carlos: "Do you like it?" he looked at her and saw tears forming in her eyes "Jane? I.. I thought you would like it..." he looked around "Is it too much? Is it the bed? It's for the movie. I mean we are just watching a movie!" he was getting nervous  
Jane shook her head and moved fast towards him, she took his face and kissed him  
Carlos had to force himself to sit still because his first instinct in these situations was to move or defend himself but responded to the kiss  
Jane stopped kissing him, he was motionless, and kept looking at her silently  
Jane: "Carlos? Are you okay?" Maybe she had overstepped  
Carlos: "Yeah. I'm fine" he was shocked by the kiss she had given him "Are you?"  
Jane laughed in relief: "Yeah"  
Carlos now was confused: "So you like this?"  
Jane: "Yeah. A lot. Didn't the kiss answered the question?"  
Carlos began to smile: "Well... it seemed you were really excited while kissing me... I just didn't expect it"  
Jane laughed again: "I noticed"  
Carlos: "Let's watch the movie then"  
They watched the movie and cuddled. They went to eat lunch and then went again to the fort to talk for the rest of the day. Carlos and Jane summoned magically the dinner  
When it was time to go to bed Carlos followed Jane to her room  
Jane turned towards him: "Thank you for today. It was amazing. Perfect actually"  
Carlos shrugged  
Jane: "Goodnight Carlos. I love you"  
Carlos kissed her on the cheek: "Goodnight Jane. I love you too"

* * *

 _Evie and Doug_  
It was 9 a.m. when Evie woke up, she got out of bed and took a warm shower, dressed up, put on some make up and went to the cafeteria with Jay, Mal, and Mary. Carlos, the twins, Dizzy, Martina, Francine, Queenie, and Celia were still sleeping. Liang, Jian, Gil, and Francesco went for a run  
Evie: "What are your plans for today?"  
Mary: "We will leave at 10 a.m. No goodbyes, we will be back in 3 weeks"  
The others nodded silently  
Mal: "Ben and I are going to our place"  
Jay: "I'll meet Lonnie in the gym"  
Mal: "What about you, Evie? You'll be with Doug?"  
Evie: "Yeah. In the afternoon his parents are coming to bring him home"  
Jay: "Yeah, Lonnie's parents are coming this afternoon too"  
Mal: "The others are going home too, besides Ben and Jane"  
Evie: "Jane too?"  
Mal nodded: "FG wants to spend the holiday with your mom. And her husband died... so you know.."  
Jay: "Oh I didn't know..."  
They finished eating and then went their separate ways  
Evie went to find Doug in his room, she knocked and he opened the door  
Doug smiled at her: "Hey beautiful"  
Evie smiled: "Hey you! How are you?"  
Doug: "Very well. Having the room all for myself is pretty cool"  
Evie laughed  
Doug: "What about you?"  
Evie: "I'm ok. So, what do you want to do?"  
Doug: "I thought we could spend the morning here, maybe watch a movie or talk" then he seemed to remember something "No wait! I have a better idea" he went inside the room and grabbed a bag "Come with me" he grabbed her hand  
Evie was confused by his mood-swing: "Where are we going?"  
Doug smiled: "You'll see"  
They walked for half an hour and then arrived in front of a door and Doug opened it  
Evie entered and saw something she had never seen  
Doug: "What do you think?"  
Evie: "That there is a big hole on the floor full of water?"  
Doug was confused: "You don't know what this is?"  
Evie: "No"  
Doug: "Never heard of pools?"  
Evie shook her head  
Doug: "This is a swimming pool. The water is warm... I thought we could swim"  
Evie took a step back and shook her head: "Swim? Are you insane? It's dangerous!"  
Doug: "You can't swim?"  
Evie: "Of course not. The water hurts. I saw Uma's burn marks. I'm not going there and neither should you"  
Doug sighed: "Why don't you sit there and wait for me for a few minutes?"  
Evie sat on a bench and waited  
After a few minutes, Doug came out of the locker room, Evie was surprised seeing him without clothes, he wore some kind of shorts  
Evie had never seen him shirtless, she felt immediately warmer, she blushed  
Doug smiled at her, he was beautiful, he had a very nice and toned body. Then she watched him jump in the pool  
Evie got up: "No!" she worriedly ran to the pool and threw herself on the ground, she about to call Mal, Carlos, and Jay "Doug!"  
Doug resurfaced: "I'm ok"  
Evie looked at him searching for burn marks: "You aren't in any pain?"  
Doug: "No, I'm perfectly fine"  
Evie slowly put her hand in the water, waiting for the pain but it didn't come: "It's warm..."  
Doug: "Yeah it is. Wanna try?"  
Evie: "But.. I don't know how to swim"  
Doug: "I'll teach you. In the locker room, there are some swimsuits. Try one and come here"  
Evie nodded, she went and put one the swimsuit and then got out  
Doug looked at her and was starstruck. She was wearing a blue swimsuit, her hair was tied in a high ponytail  
Evie: "What?"  
Doug: "Nothing... you are beautiful"  
Evie blushed: "Thank you" then she sat at the edge of the pool "Ok" she got in "Oh my god! I'm in a pool" she could touch the pool floor  
Doug laughed: "Yes you are"  
They spent most of the morning in the pool, then they got out, took a shower, and went to get lunch  
There they found Jane and Carlos, Jay and Lonnie  
Then around 15-00 p.m., Doug's parents arrived  
They stayed for a while to talk with Evie and then got in the car  
Doug: "I'll see you on New Year's Eve"  
Evie: "I'll miss you"  
Doug smiled and hugged her: "I'll miss you too"  
Evie kissed him and then pulled back and waved at him while he entered the car  
Then she went inside and spent the rest of the day with her friends, she told them about the pool and Carlos and Jay were shocked when they found out that they could swim freely there

* * *

 _Lonnie and Jay_  
Lonnie woke up early, took a shower, and then dressed up. She and Jay were going to spend the morning together since she was going back home for the holidays  
She met him in the gym  
Lonnie: "Hey Jay"  
Jay smiled at her: "Hey Lon, how are you?"  
Lonnie: "I can't wait for the holidays to start! What about you?"  
Jay frowned: "I sincerely don't understand what's the big deal with Christmas"  
Lonnie smiled: "It's about family, being together. Didn't you celebrate your family?"  
Jay: "Not exactly. We always appreciated the family but didn't exactly stop and have dinner or... I don't know exactly what you do"  
Lonnie: "We exchange presents, we eat dinner all together... I don't know how to explain it... there's magic..."  
Jay shrugged: "I guess I'll see" then he seemed to realize something "Exchange presents?"  
Lonnie: "Yeah, well we will exchange then on New Year's Eve because you know you will be at the Castle and I will be at my home"

* * *

Jay's glowed as he reached out to the others: _Guys we have a problem_  
Carlos heard him, his eyes glowed and answered immediately worriedly: _What is it, Jay?_  
Mal was at the Enchanted Lake when she heard Jay, Ben had just entered the lake, her eyes glowed a little and answered: _Need help?_  
Evie turned a little so that Doug couldn't see her eyes glowing: _Jay are you ok?_  
Jay: _We have to buy presents for Christmas_  
Mal got up and said out loud: "What?!" they heard her anyway, but Ben heard her too and he immediately emerged worried something bad was happening  
Evie: _Oh_  
Carlos: _What are we going to do?_  
Jay: _I don't know_  
Mal thought for a while and then reassured them: _Tomorrow we can ask Belle_  
The others calmed down and went back to their dates

* * *

Jay: "Let's fence a little"  
Lonnie: "Sure"  
Jay: "Wanna bet something?"  
Lonnie laughed: "I bet that I'll win"  
Jay: "And if you lose?"  
Lonnie: "I'll say to everyone that you are the best fencer that ever existed"  
It was Jay's turn to laugh: "That would be Mal and Carlos, but sure"  
Lonnie: "What about you?"  
Jay thought about it for a while: "Don't know. You decide"  
They fenced for a while, Lonnie won, then went to get lunch  
At 14-30 p.m., Lonnie's parents arrived  
Lonnie: "Time to pay"  
Jay looked at her: "What do you want?"  
Lonnie: "I want to present you to my parents as my boyfriend"  
Jay was shocked, he wasn't expecting that  
Lonnie saw his shock but interpreted it wrong: "If you don't feel ready I can totally understand"  
Jay: "No, it's ok. I was just surprised. I'm ready"  
Lonnie smiled, once her parents arrived she presented Jay as her boyfriend  
Her parents were happy and invited Jay for lunch. Then they went back in the car  
Lonnie: "So... I guess I should go"  
Jay: "I guess you should"  
Lonnie smiled and kissed him: "See you soon"

* * *

Once the Core 4 met again in their room they started panicking  
Evie: "What are we going to do?" she was pacing  
Carlos was fidgeting: "I don't know. We never did this"  
Mal and Jay were silent, when Evie and Carlos didn't hear an answer they turned to look at their siblings  
Evie: "Well?"  
Mal and Jay looked at them with curiosity  
Mal: "What?"  
Carlos: "What. Are. We. Going. To. Do?"  
Jay: "With what?"  
Evie: "WITH CHRISTMAS!"  
Mal and Jay jumped a little  
Mal: "Geez Evie. Calm down. We are going to figure it out... in some way"  
Jay: "Yeah. They know we didn't do Christmas so it won't be a big deal, right?"  
Mal: "I don't know... they always seem so shocked every time we say that we didn't have their holidays..."  
Evie: "Yeah..."  
They knew the aks felt sorry and sometimes guilty because they didn't have the same experiences, and whenever they saw that sad look in the eyes of their friends they felt... nauseous  
Carlos: "When I see Jane looking at me like that... I feel really bad.. like I've eaten something too rotten"  
Mal: "I feel like someone is stabbing me in the stomach"  
Evie: "I'm sure Belle will help us buy the best presents"  
Jay: "But.. how many presents? We don't have the money..."  
Mal: "Adam and Belle have an account with money for us. For all the Isle kids. I thought it wasn't necessary because I didn't want their pity... but maybe we could find a job and give them the money back.. what do you think?"  
Carlos: "I think it's a good idea"  
Jay nodded  
Evie smiled: "It's a great idea! This way we can show people that we are normal!"  
Mal, Carlos, and Jay raised an eyebrow at the word "normal"  
Evie: "I meant like them... I mean..." she sighed "You know what I mean"  
Jay: "The problem isn't solved though. How many presents? Do we have to buy a present only for our partner or for the others too?"  
Carlos: "We have to buy a present for Ben"  
Evie nodded: "And for FG"  
Mal: "And the coach"  
Carlos: "And the teachers. They have been good to us"  
Jay: "And for Adam and Belle?"  
Mal nodded: "Also the guys at the Castle"  
Evie: "I have an idea. For FG, Adam, Belle, and the guys at the Castle we can give them a present from all of us. We give an individual gift to our favorite teacher... "  
Jay: "Good idea"  
Mal: "We can give an individual gift to our partners. Then we give a group gift to Ben and the others"  
Evie: "I say we make a list"  
Mal: "I can't believe I'm saying this but... you are right Evie"  
They spent the rest of the evening making the list, it was 2 a.m. when they went to bed

* * *

Ben passed in front of their room, looked at the door, when he tried to reach for Mal and could feel she was still sleeping, he smiled and shook his head and kept walking  
He found Jane in the cafeteria with FG  
Ben: "Goodmorning"  
Jane: "Hey Ben, how are you?"  
Ben: "I'm good. How are you?"  
Jane: "Fine"  
FG: "Pretty good, thank you" she took a sip of coffee "Where are the children?"  
She had started calling them like that a while ago, she didn't like calling them "vks"  
Ben smiled: "Still sleeping" he got up and went to pick his breakfast  
The staff of Auradon Prep had gone home that morning  
FG smiled: "Well... I guess we can wait a little while before calling the limo"  
Jane was smiling too

* * *

10 a.m.

 _The vks' room_  
Evie and Jay got up first, they got dressed then proceeded to wake up Mal and Carlos  
Evie smiled and whispered: "Look at them"  
Jay turned to look at the twins and smiled  
Mal and Carlos had fallen asleep on the floor while Evie was writing the list, they were facing each other, Jay had put a heavy blanket on them as it was really cold  
Evie: "Sometimes I miss it"  
Jay sighed: "Me too..."  
Evie looked at him, her eyes were watering: "I miss our home"  
Jay: "E... we can't go back" he shook his head "It's hell"  
Evie started sobbing a little: "I know... It's just... I don't know"  
Jay hugged her: "I know. It's ok"  
Mal and Carlos were still sleeping  
Jay put his hands on his sister's shoulders: "Hey, we will be able to go and visit the Isle. And who knows...maybe one day we could go back and stay there" he smiled at her "Let's wake these two up and go have breakfast"  
Evie nodded and they woke up the younger twins  
Mal tried to keep sleeping but finally had to surrender  
Once everyone was ready they left the room to go to the cafeteria, they picked their breakfast and sat at their table  
Mal: "Why couldn't we sleep a little more?"  
Evie: "Because we have to go to Castle Beast"  
Mal and Carlos huffed in annoyance and kept eating  
They had already packed their things of course (Evie's doing) so they just had to wait  
Jay: "Let's go find Ben and Jane"  
They found them outside, building a snowman. They were still a little confused by these traditions, what was the point of putting all that white stuff together? It was cold outside, not like on the Isle but it wasn't exactly pleasant  
Ben noticed them and waved, Jane turned with a smile  
Evie: "Hey guys"  
Ben: "Wanna help built the snowman?"  
Jane: "We could do the angel!"  
Ben's smile got bigger: "Yeah!"  
The vks were looking at them with fake enthusiasm  
Mal: "What's the angel?"  
Ben: "It's easier to show you. Ready Jane?"  
Jane nodded: "1, 2, 3... go!"  
And then Ben and Jane let themselves fall in the snow, the vks looked at them alarmed  
Carlos went to Jane: "Jane are you ok?"  
Jane's laugh made Carlos and the others relaxed immediately  
Jane: "Yeah, but you should move over"  
Carlos frowned but did as told  
Jane and Ben started to move their arms and legs and the vks saw that with their movement they were moving the snow, making some kind of figure  
Evie: "Are we suppose to do something?" the others shrugged  
When Ben and Jane got up and looked at them with enthusiasm, the vks were confused  
Jay: "Was something suppose to happen?"  
Ben and Jane frowned  
Ben: "No, look at the snow"  
The vks looked at the snow for a few moments  
Mal: "I'm sorry. I don't understand. I see the snow and nothing else"  
Evie: "There is some kind of figure.."  
Carlos: "It seems like a bell"  
Jay: "Nah. It's a ghost"  
Mal: "Oh yeah! It is a ghost!"  
Evie: "Uhm... yeah I see it"  
Ben yelled: "No! It isn't a ghost!"  
Evie and Jay looked at him surprised while Mal and Carlos got scared by his tone  
Mal whispered: "Sorry"  
Ben looked at her and relaxed: "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry"  
Jane: "It's an angel"  
The vks looked at the figure and inclined their head  
Evie: "What exactly is an angel?"  
Ben and Jane's eyes got wide open, then tried to play it cool, Ben tried to explain it to them  
Ben: "An angel, it's like a person with wings"  
Mal frowned: "So, my mom and I are... angels? That doesn't sound that scary"  
The vks looked at him curiously  
Ben shook his head: "No. You are a fairy. Angels are celestial beings, their wings are white and with feathers"  
Jane: "They are messengers"  
Jay: "Feathers? Like birds?"  
Ben: "Yeah kinda. But their wings are way bigger" he opened his arms to show how big the wings were  
The vks hummed and looked at the figure on the snow  
Mal sighed: "I'm sorry, but all I can see it's a ghost" the others nodded  
Ben sighed  
Jane smiled: "So? You wanna do more ghosts?"  
The vks looked at each other and shrugged, then they let themselves fall on the snow and started to move their legs and arms, they got up and watch the figure  
Mal, Carlos, and Jay smiled and run around doing more ghosts while Evie stayed with Jane and Ben and helped them built another snowman  
Then around 2 pm the limo arrived, they went inside to call FG and pick their stuff, and then they all got in the car

* * *

Belle and Adam were waiting for the kids in the living room with Grimhilde and Jafar  
Belle: "You don't have to worry"  
Grimhilde: "But we feel so stupid... we really didn't think about it..."  
Belle smiled at the couple: "You don't celebrate it, of course, you didn't think about it. This is your first Christmas, and we will make sure that you enjoy it, right Adam?"  
Adam nodded: "I don't know how to express how sorry I am..." he was really ashamed of himself  
Jafar smiled reassuringly: "We forgave you a long time ago, Adam"  
Lumiere arrived in the room and announced the arrival of the guests  
Ben, Jane, and FG entered quickly  
Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos took their time to show up, they were watching all the decorations and were amazed by them  
Once they entered the room, Evie and Jay spotted easily their parents and went to hug them  
Mal and Carlos were looking at the gigantic tree in the middle of the room when Belle went to hug them  
They talked for a while, the teens went to watch a movie while the parents stayed in the living room

* * *

The next day  
Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Evie were looking for Belle, they decided to separate and look around  
Mal went to the library, Carlos in the kitchen, Jay in the living room, and Evie in her studio  
Mal was the one who found the Queen: _I found her_  
Her brother and friends arrived and they entered  
Mal: "Belle?"  
Belle looked up surprised to see them, she smiled: "Hey kids, can I help you with something?"  
Mal looked at the others and then turned towards the Queen: "Well.. you know that this is our first Christmas.. ever.. and well we found out just a few days ago that you have this tradition of exchanging gifts? But the thing is.. we don't know how it works or how to pick the right gift... so we were wondering if you could help us? And for the money we would repay you, Jay already found a place where we could work"  
Belle was surprised that they had even come out with a plan, she didn't think they would want to follow the tradition of exchanging gifts.. not because they were selfish but because they didn't really were into this kind of things  
Belle: "You don't have to participate if you don't want to, you know that?"  
Evie: "But we want to"  
Belle smiled: "Well, in that case, let me call the limo, we are going to the mall"  
Evie clapped her hands in excitement, then her smile dropped  
Belle got worried: "What is it?"  
Evie: "We can't go to the mall looking like this!"  
Mal, Jay, and Carlos rolled their eyes while Belle laughed  
Belle: "Go on and change. I'll see you in the living room"  
Evie dragged the others into their room

* * *

Evie: "Let's go and take a quick shower"  
They showered, Evie finished first and went ahead to pick the outfits  
Evie was wearing a long-sleeves knee-length dress, black stockings, red ankle boots, red gloves, and a black heavy long coat, she put on some mascara and red lipstick  
Jay got out second and found his outfit on his bed, he got dressed, he was wearing a pair of red jeans, a black shirt and a brown sweater, a pair of black boots, his favorite hat, and a black coat  
Mal got out third, she found her outfit and got dressed, she was wearing a purple sweater and black dungarees, her favorite combat boots, black gloves, and a black coat  
Carlos got out last, he got dressed, he was wearing a pair of black sweatpants, a red hoodie, a pair of red gloves and a black coat  
They looked at the mirror and Mal, Carlos, and Jay raised an eyebrow  
Mal: "So... are we spies?"  
Carlos and Jay chuckled, Evie glared at them  
Evie: "Very funny"  
Mal: "Come on E... we look like those men from the movie we watched yesterday... those that deal with aliens?"  
Evie huffed and got out, the others followed her laughing, they met Belle in the living room  
Ben: "Hey guys! We were looking for you" he looked at them and frowned "You going somewhere?"  
Mal: "Hi little Prince, we are going out with your mom" she got closer to him and put her arms around his neck "We are going on a secret mission" she kissed him  
Ben: "But..." she kissed him again "But I want to know.." she gave him another kiss "Ok fine, I got it"  
Mal smiled at him: "See you when we come back, and we can spend some alone time"  
Ben: "Yeah, I'd like that"

* * *

Belle: "Well, here we are. Let's get to work"  
They spent almost 3 hours shopping, once they had finished buying everything they needed Belle decided they were going to have lunch there  
Mal: "This sandwich is awesome"  
Carlos and Jay nodded enthusiastically while Evie nodded calmly, Belle chuckled  
Once they had lunch Belle called the limo  
They arrived at the Castle and the vks went straight to their room, they wrapped the gifts  
Mal went to spend the afternoon with Ben, Carlos with Jane, Evie and Jay spent it with their parents

* * *

Christmas came and the party was big  
They ate a lot and laughed a lot  
It was evening and it started snowing  
In the last few weeks, they never got to see it, when they woke up the snow was already there  
But during the dinner, Mal and Carlos were looking outside the window confused  
Belle noticed it: "Mal? Carlos? Is everything all right?"  
Mal said in a worried tone: "I think the clouds are falling"  
Everyone got alarmed and they looked outside, Belle, Adam, FG, Ben, Grimhilde, and Jane started laughing  
Jafar, Jay, Evie, Mal, and Carlos looked at them confused  
FG: "Sweetie, that's snow"  
Mal and Carlos ran outside without saying anything, they wanted to see it better, once they were outside they started to jump and run around trying to catch the snowflakes  
The others followed them outside and started laughing  
Mal: "I got one!" Carlos ran to her and watched the snowflake she had caught  
Ben was surprised: "That's impossible. The snowflakes melt immediately when you touch them"  
Jane looked at him: "Magic Ben. It's magic"  
Carlos: "I caught one too!"  
They stayed outside for a while and then got back inside, they finished the dinner, they gave a lot of compliments to Mrs. Potts and then went to bed

* * *

It was New Year's Eve, a lot of people had arrived at the Castle  
Evie and Mal were in their room getting ready  
Evie was wearing a dark blue dress with blue stilettos, her hair was loose, she was wearing some make up, and she was currently helping Mal  
Mal: "I don't understand"  
Evie: "Mal, you are the future Queen, you have to look perfect. Always"  
Mal: "No, I don't. I'm human... Well, not exactly human but you get it. I don't want people to think that I'm perfect. I can make mistakes, I won't be the perfect Queen"  
Lonnie: "I think Mal is right"  
Mal and Evie turned to look at the door  
Mal smiled: "You are here!"  
Audrey: "Everyone is here"  
Mal: "There she is, my favorite niece"  
Audrey rolled her eyes and said something about being her only niece  
The girls got in and closed the door  
Evie: "Well girls you look stunning"  
Jane was wearing a turquoise long dress, with a pair of stilettos, her hair was loose and she was wearing very little make up  
Audrey was wearing an antique pink dress, with a pair of pink ballerinas, and her usual make up  
Lonnie was wearing just the mascara and a long black dress with converse  
Mal: "So Little Princess, where is your girlfriend?"  
Audrey: "With her grandparents"  
Jane: "So Mal... that dress is something"  
Mal smirked: "I know. Evie doesn't approve"  
Lonnie laughed: "I guess that sealed the deal"  
Mal laughed  
Evie: "Please, tell her it's not a good idea"  
Audrey: "Why don't you like it? It's so her"  
Evie: "I don't want people to.."  
Mal: "She thinks people will talk. But I don't care. Evie, I know you want to protect me but... you don't have to"  
Evie: "I just... I don't want them to... hurt you"  
Mal smiled at her: "I know. But I'm Mal, daughter of Maleficent and Hades. And I'm like this, I'm an Isle kid. I won't hide"  
Evie thought about it for a while: "Well in that case. Let's gave them what they don't know they need"  
Mal: "Yes!"  
Evie laughed: "Let me change real quick"  
Mal: "I'll call Carlos and Jay" she closed her eyes  
Evie went in the bathroom and changed into a red dress, it was knee-length, she changed her shoes too, she was wearing some black high heels, she put on blue eyeshadow, mascara, and a red lipstick  
Mal whistled: "Now that's what I was talking about!"  
Jay: "Mal said we are going full Isle fashion mode?"  
Evie: "Yeah. I thought why should we rob these people of such a privilege?"  
Carlos: "Yeah I guess they should see what "cool" really means"  
Audrey: "Ok, you should really tone it down"  
Mal: "Ok, get out of the room and go downstairs"  
Jay and Carlos changed, Mal finished her make up and put on some shoes  
Mal was wearing a black short dress, it was fitted on the torso with a v-neck, the back had a see-through effect, from the waist it got loose, and a pair of black ankle boots, the outfit was perfect for her skin tone, she was wearing purple eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, and a lip gloss  
Jay put on a pair of red loose leather pants, black boots, a black blouse, and a red leather jacket, his hair was tied in a bun with a red string, he was also wearing a fine line of eyeliner  
Carlos was wearing a pair of black and blue loose leather pants, a blue blouse, a white blazer, and a pair of black converse  
Mal: "Well, let's get this party started"  
They went downstairs where Ben, Doug, Jane, Lonnie, Audrey, and Chad were waiting  
Chad was the first one to see them and his mouth hang open, Doug that was talking to him saw his friend's reaction and turned around to see the cause of his shock, he was rendered speechless  
Audrey was the next to notice the vks: "Woah"  
Ben, Jane, and Lonnie looked at the direction she was pointing and started to blush  
Evie went to hug Doug, that still hadn't recovered  
Evie: "Hey babe, what do you think?" she did a little spin  
Doug: "You look... I don't even know if there is a word to describe you... You are... perfect"  
Evie smiled and kissed him: "And you look handsome"  
Mal went near Ben who couldn't take his eyes off of her: "So, what's up?" she was smirking, clearly enjoying his reaction  
Ben shook his head to try and recover but it didn't work  
Mal laughed and kissed him: "Better now?"  
Ben: "You are a vision"  
Mal: "Why thank you, Ben. You are very handsome yourself"  
Jay: "You look stunning, beautiful"  
Lonnie smiled: "Right back at you"  
Carlos: "Jane, you are beautiful"  
Jane: "You are too"  
Chad: "Woah... you guys... look stunning" he looked at Mal "And you Mal... I mean.. just Woah. Woah"  
Mal laughed and went to kiss him on the cheek  
Ben growled a little and hugged her from the waist, Mal put her hands on his  
Carlos: "Let's go"  
They went outside  
Jay: "Woah... this is insane"  
A lot of people had come  
Carlos and Mal: "Food!" and they ran to the buffet, their friends followed them  
They talked with a lot of people, Mal especially since she was the King's girlfriend  
It was 21 o'clock when they announced that there will the traditional exchange of gifts, the vks went to pick their gifts and started to give them  
Mal went to the art teacher, Ms. Yennifer: "Ms. Yennifer, I have something for you to thank you for everything you did for us"  
Ms. Yennifer was really moved by this and loved her gift  
Mal, Carlos, and Jay went to give the gift to the Coach, who actually started crying  
Evie gave a gift to the Science teacher, who tried to hide his emotions  
The whole group went to give a gift to Snow-white and Ferdinand, Aurora and Philip, Aladdin and Jasmine, Anita and Roger, they were all very pleased  
Then they went to FG, Adam, and Belle and gave a present each, FG and Belle cried while Adam tried to play it cool  
Of course, they gave a present to Grimhilde and Jafar  
Then they went separate ways

* * *

 _Carlos and Jane_  
Carlos tapped on Jane's shoulder and she turned around with a smile  
Jane: "Hey you, I was looking for you everywhere" then she noticed Carlos was hiding something "What do you have there?"  
Carlos gave her the package and Jane was shocked  
Jane: "A gift? For me?"  
Carlos: "No, for your shadow" he laughed "Of course it's for you, silly. Go on open it"  
Jane: "Oh Carlos... you didn't have to" she unwrapped the gift "I hope you didn't spend to much" she opened the little box and there it was and necklace with a little turquoise gemstone "Oh my gosh! It's beautiful. Is there magic?"  
Carlos nodded: "Yeah, whenever you are sad or upset you touch the gemstone and it activates mine" he showed her his necklace with a dark blue gemstone "So I'll know where to find you so that I can help you..."  
Jane was speechless, it was the most thoughtful present she ever received  
Carlos got worried and misunderstood her silence: "You don't like it?"  
Jane: "No, I don't like it. I love it!" she hugged him tightly  
Carlos hugged her back a let out a relieved laugh  
Jane: "I have something for you too" she gave him a bag  
Carlos opened the gift and there was a photo of the two of them  
Jane: "Since you never had a photo and you don't have any of your childhood I thought that you would like it..."  
Carlos smiled: "I love it, thank you Fairy Jane" his voice held all the emotions he was feeling  
They heard the fireworks and kissed lightly, then smiled at each other

* * *

 _Jay and Lonnie_  
Jay was looking for Lonnie when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him, so he turned and there she was  
Jay: "Hey you"  
Lonnie: "I have something for you"  
Jay chuckled: "I have something for you"  
Lonnie was surprised: "You do?"  
Jay was confused by her reaction: "Well yeah... why wouldn't I?"  
Lonnie: "Well.. with the others we thought that you wouldn't be able to do the 'present thing'.."  
Jay: "Well we were able. Now, do you or do you not want the present?"  
Lonnie smiled: "Can I go first?"  
Jay rolled his eyes: "Sure"  
Lonnie handed him the box, he opened it and smiled  
Jay looked at her: "You got me a beanie?"  
Lonnie: "I asked Evie where your beanie obsession came from, and she told me it was the first thing she made. I made this beanie... I thought that maybe you would like it..." she was about to say something else but he interrupted her with a kiss  
Jay: "I love it" he smiled at her "Now, it's my turn" he gave her the bag  
It was a big bag, and heavy too  
Lonnie: "Oh God, I hope you didn't spend too much"  
Jay: "I didn't buy it"  
Lonnie: "Ok... you made it?"  
Jay nodded: "With a little help  
Lonnie opened the bag, inside there was a large box, she had to put it on the table near her to open it, she opened the box and saw the gift, she brought her hand to her mouth and a sob escaped her lips  
Jay: "You like it?"  
Lonnie turned to look at him: "How?"  
Jay: "Well you always say that you want your personal sword, so I decided to make it. Mal helped me melting a metal. It's light so you can move fast and easily. I put on some stuff in the box to make it heavier"  
Lonnie was crying: "Damn Jay, it's amazing"  
Jay smiled: "So, you like it?"  
Lonnie: "Of course I do!" she hugged him tightly but they parted when they heard the fireworks and then kissed

* * *

 _Mal and Ben_  
Mal found Belle and Adam again and asked where Ben was, they told her that he had gone inside so went back inside the Castle  
Mrs. Potts saw her and walked her to the balcony  
Mal: "What is he doing there?"  
Mrs. Potts: "When he was a kid, his grandfather brought him on the balcony to see the fireworks... since his death he goes up there every year"  
Mal: "Oh..." they had arrived "Thank you Mrs. Potts" she opened the doors and went outside, and there he was, looking at the stars  
Ben: "It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"  
Mal got closer to him and leaned on the rail, she looked up at the sky: "It is"  
Ben turned to look at her: "You are super hot tonight, you know that?"  
Mal chuckled and looked at her hands  
Ben: "I think Chad is a little bit jealous of me tonight"  
Mal laughed again  
Ben: "What I don't understand is... when the hell did you buy it?"  
Mal: "During one of the trips at the mall with Diaval, Aurora, and Audrey. Diaval insisted so much for me to try it, and once I saw how I looked I said 'Why not?'"  
Ben: "Well, you are a dream"  
Mal looked at him: "I have something for you"  
Ben: "Do you?"  
Mal gave him the pack: "Go on, open it"  
Ben smiled and opened it, his smile dropped a little: "This is..?"  
Mal kept looking at the drawing: "Your grandfather... I remember the day he.. passed... you were so hurt and sad... you said that you wished to have more photos of him... so I asked Belle to see a picture of him and I draw you two together..." she looked at him "What do you think?"  
Ben looked at her with tears in his eyes: "I love it. Thank you, Lily Love"  
Mal smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips: "You are welcome" she turned to look at the stars again  
Ben: "Now it's my turn"  
Mal sighed: "Go on"  
Ben started to look for something in his pocket, when he found it Mal saw that it was a little purple box  
Mal took a step back, shocked when he kneeled in front of her: "Ben?"  
Ben looked at her in the eyes: "Mal. From the first dream in which we meant I knew that we would fight a lot, but I was so curious about you. Then we started becoming friends and without noticing it, I fell in love with you, your personality, your sarcasm, your beautiful eyes... I don't know how to describe my feeling, but I don't have to because you can feel them"  
Mal let out a watery laugh  
Ben smiled: "I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, and you can't exactly say no because you know... the whole soul mates and True Love stuff"  
Mal shook her head amused  
Ben opened the box to reveal a simple golden ring with three violet stones: "Mal, will you do me the honor of becoming my super serious girlfriend?  
Mal wasn't surprised that he wasn't really proposing, he knew that she wanted to go slow  
Mal: "Yes!" she threw herself onto him, he caught her and hugged her tightly  
Mal started kissing him everywhere before kissing him passionately on the lips, they didn't even notice the fireworks

* * *

 _Evie and Doug_  
Evie was searching for Doug but couldn't find him so she used her magic: _Guys, have you seen Doug?_  
Mal: _Yeah, look near the lake_  
Evie went there and saw him, he was looking at the lake  
Evie: "Hey"  
Doug turned to look at her and smiled: "Hey, you find me"  
Evie: "Yeah" she looked at the star "Why are you here?"  
Doug: "I think it's kind of romantic. It's beautiful how the snow limits the lake and the sky"  
Evie smiled: "Yeah, it is" she looked at him and grabbed his hand and put her head on his shoulder  
Doug smiled happily  
They stood like that for a while, in silence  
Evie: "I have something for you"  
Doug: "I have something for you too"  
Evie: "Can I go first?"  
Doug: "Of course"  
Evie opened her bag and pulled out the gift and gave it to him, Doug smiled and opened it  
It was a leather jacket  
Evie: "I have an explanation. Every kid on the Isle has a leather jacket, it's the first thing you get when you become of age kind of. Once you put on the leather jacket you are almost considered an adult. During my childhood, you became an adult at 7 years old, and there was this tradition, you had to make your own jacket. Now there is this new thing. When somebody gives you a leather jacket is to show they care for you... and I do care for you. I hope that one day you will come with me to the Isle and wear the jacket..."  
Doug was about to cry: "It's the best present anyone ever gave me" then he laughed a little "I have something similar for you"  
Evie: "Are you... crying?"  
Doug: "No... a little maybe"  
Evie: "But you said you like it"  
Doug shook his head: "I love it"  
Evie smiled  
Doug: "Now it's my turn" he picked up the bag he had put on the ground "I'll explain it first"  
Evie nodded  
Doug: "You know that my family has mines and that I work in them during the summer with my dad, uncles, and cuisines. See, my family has this tradition, once one of us finds the one, the person we want to spend our life with we gave him or her something from our mines" he gave her the gift "Every single one of us has to make something for that person... I made you this"  
Evie was nervous: "Can I open it?"  
Doug nodded  
Evie opened it and almost screamed: "You didn't"  
Doug: "I did"  
A tear rolled down Evie's face  
Evie: "Oh my God, Doug!"  
It was a simple gold headband decorated with various stones, blue and red ones  
Evie: "It's beautiful!" she looked at him and put it on "How do I look?"  
Doug: "You look like a princess"  
Evie kissed him: "Thank you so much, I love it"  
Doug smiled at her, in that moment they heard the fireworks, the colors reflected on the lake and the snow  
Doug: "Happy New Year, Evie"  
Evie: "Happy New Year, Doug"

* * *

A few weeks later the Isle kids came back, they started going to school and everything was perfect  
Mary and James started hanging out a lot, Azura and Audrey were the most popular couple  
Ben and Mal kept working on fixing the Isle's problems  
Uma went to visit Auradon and talked with Adam, Belle, and Ben and told them how the changes were affecting everyone  
Years passed, people from Auradon went to visit the Isle and vice versa. Peace was made between families  
It was now the last year for our protagonist...


	51. The End

A few weeks later the Isle kids came back, they started going to school and everything was perfect  
Mary and James started hanging out a lot, Azura and Audrey were the most popular couple  
Ben and Mal kept working on fixing the Isle's problems  
Uma went to visit Auradon and talked with Adam, Belle, and Ben and told them how the changes were affecting everyone  
Years passed, people from Auradon went to visit the Isle and vice versa. Peace was made between families  
It was now the last year for our protagonist...

* * *

Reporters: "Mal! Mal! When are you going back to the Isle? And the wedding? What about the rumors about a pregnancy? Is it true that you will be Queen of the Isle of the Lost while King Benjamin stays here?"  
Mal rolled her eyes at those question, it had been years so she was getting used to... but the question kept getting more and more boring... she kept walking until her way got blocked by a reporter  
Mal: "You. Again"  
The reporter was Billy Charles, he was kind of a stalker... especially for Mal  
Billy smirked almost evilly: "Me. Again"  
But before he could ask anything or make some rude comments he saw Mal smiling, and that smile could mean only one thing...  
Ben: "What is going on here?" he walked through the crowd and went to stand at Mal's side, she was looking at him like he was her savior... and he was  
A lot of reporters kept taking photos of the couple  
Ben was angry: "I said What is going on here?"  
Billy: "Just a few questions for the future Queen"  
Ben put his body between Mal and Billy  
Ben: "Stay the hell away from her. Guards! Arrest him"  
Mal grabbed Ben's arms: "Ben!  
Ben: "Don't worry Mal. I can arrest him, he violated the arrangement" Ben looked at the man who was being held by the guards "You can't get near Mal, I thought the judge had been clear. Bring him to his future cell"  
The guards dragged the man away  
Ben turned to Mal: "Are you ok?"  
Mal smiled at him: "Better now"  
Ben smiled and they went inside the dormitory

* * *

Carlos and Jane were talking when Dude entered the room  
Carlos and Mal had become friends with the dog quite fast, now Dude lived in their room  
Carlos saw him and smiled: "Dude!"  
Jane: "Look who's here"  
Dude went to stay in Carlos's lap  
Carlos: "So... I was wondering... Jane?"  
Jane: "Yes?"  
Carlos: "Would like to go to the ball with me?"  
Jane: "I would love to"  
In a few months, there was going to be the Ball, it was the last year at Auradon Prep for them  
Jane: "I love you"  
Carlos kissed her: "I love you too"  
Jane: "So, Ben is planning on doing it?"  
Carlos nodded: "During the ball"  
Jane: "It's so romantic"  
Carlos chuckled  
Sometimes the proposal didn't have to be so elaborate, they can be simple

* * *

Evie and Doug were in his room, Doug was organizing his proposing, he was nervous but also excited  
They went out to go to the cafeteria  
Doug: _The show starts now_  
Evie was walking quietly beside him when she stopped suddenly  
Doug smiled and turned to look at her: "Evie?"  
Evie pointed to the ceiling: "What is that?"  
Doug looked where she was pointing to see the banner he had put up it was blue with golden writing, it had taken a whole afternoon to make but it was worth it  
Evie read it: "Brave Princess, I love you. Would you do me the honor..." she stopped a second to keep in the tears "would you do me the honor of going to our Final Ball with me?"  
Doug smiled: "I thought you would never ask. Of course, I would!"  
Evie laughed and hugged him  
Sometimes the proposal didn't have to be romantic, sometimes they can be funny  
Lonnie was walking around the garden looking for Jay when a girl from the first year stopped her and gave her a letter  
It said: _Meet me where you fell in love with me_

Lonnie chuckled, it was a common joke between her and her boyfriend, she went to the Tourney field  
Lonnie: "Jay?" she looked around but he wasn't there  
Then she heard a familiar wind, she turned in time to see Jay appeared  
Jay: "Hello my love"  
Lonnie: "Jay? What is going on?"  
He was wearing a tuxedo and he was handsome  
Jay was by her side and music started playing  
Jay: "I thought that maybe for this I could be more romantic"  
Lonnie: "For what?"  
All around them the music and the twilight created a very romantic atmosphere  
Jay: "Lonnie, will you do me the honor of being my date for the Final Ball?"  
Lonnie smiled: "Yes"  
Jay then offered her his hand, she took it and they started dancing to the rhythm  
Lonnie: "It was very romantic of you"  
Jay: "Sometimes proposal needs to be romantic"  
Lonnie laughed and they kept dancing

* * *

Mal was in the office working when Lumiere arrived with another bag of documents  
Mal: "Are you serious, Lumi?" she had started calling him that when Ben had been sick

* * *

Ben: "I'm not sick"  
Lumiere and Mal shared a look  
They were at the Castle and Ben was adamant, he wanted to participate in the Council  
Lumiere: "Benjamin, you are sick"  
Mal: "Let's resume what happened"  
Lumiere: "You threw up"  
Mal: "You keep sneezing"  
Lumiere: "You fainted"  
Mal: "You have the fever"  
Lumiere: "You can't concentrate"  
Mal: "You keep getting nausea"  
Ben scoffed: "Ok, I get it. I'll stay here"  
Mal and Lumiere nodded  
Lumiere: "I'll go tell Mrs. Potts to prepare a soup"  
Mal: "Don't worry Lumi, I got it. You keep an eye on the King" she looked at Ben "And don't you dare even think about getting out of this room, do you understand?"  
Ben: "Yes, ma'am"  
Mal got out of the room and Lumiere looked at Ben  
Lumiere: "Did she just call me Lumi?"  
Ben sighed: "She loves giving nicknames. Get used to it"  
Lumiere smiled

* * *

Lumiere: "I'm sorry Mal, but these are letters from the Isle"  
Mal was surprised: "From the Isle?"  
Lumiere nodded  
Mal: "Ok, leave it here" she pointed at the desk  
Lumiere: "Well then. Good luck" he bowed a little and left  
Mal finished her work and then looked at the bag of letters  
Mal: "Well... I guess I should start" she opened the bag and took a pile of letters... there were at least a hundred of them, Mal sighed in surrender "This is going to be a looong night"  
She started reading, sometimes a few tears escaped her eyes, sometimes a laugh interrupted the silence, then she arrived at the last 7 letters  
Weird  
All the other letter were in a white envelope, while these were in different colors  
The first one was in a black envelope, Mal frowned and opened the others one by one and gasped at the message  
The purple one: Will you  
The blue one: be kind  
The green one: and  
The yellow one: go to  
The orange one: the Final Ball  
The red one: as my date  
The last one that was a rainbow: Lily Love?  
Mal heard a knock, Ben was there with a bouquet of 7 roses, 7 colors just like the letters  
Mal whispered: "What did you do?"  
Ben got closer to the desk and smiled at her: "Will you" he gave her the purple rose "be kind" he gave her the blue rose "and" he gave her the green rose "go to" he gave her the yellow rose "the Final Ball" he gave her the red one "as my date" and finally he gave her the rainbow rose "Lily Love?"  
Mal laughed: "You goofy King" she got up and went to stand in front of him "I will go to the Ball as your date, Little Prince"

* * *

Azura and Audrey were studying in the library for the history exam when Audrey looked at Azura and smiled  
At that moment Jane, Mal, Evie, Lonnie, and Mary came in, they each had a different kind of flower, they stand behind Audrey  
Azura saw them: "What the...?"  
Audrey got up: "Azura, will you go to the ball with me?"  
Azura laughed: "Of course I will, babe"  
They kissed, then Audrey gave Azura all the flowers  
Apparently, flowers are really popular for the proposals

* * *

James was nervous, he and Mary were a couple now but he wasn't sure of how to propose her  
But he didn't have to  
One day while Mary studied and James thought of the perfect way to propose, she surprised him  
Mary kept looking at her book: "Hey, we are going to the ball together, right?"  
James: "Sorry what?"  
Mary looked at him: "The ball. We are going together?"  
James smiled: "Oh. Yeah, yes we are"  
Mary smiled and nodded and went back to studying  
Well... that was easy

* * *

Chad had been dating Margaret, Doug's cousin, she had auburn hair, blue eyes, she was tall, and it was going quite well  
Chad: "Margaret?"  
Margaret turned to look at him  
Chad: "Will you go to the Ball with me?"  
Margaret smiled sweetly and nodded, she was mute  
Chad didn't care, he had learned the sign language for her, he really liked her and somehow she liked him  
Chad smiled and kissed her: "I love you"  
Margaret used sign language to tell him I love you too

* * *

 _Final Ball_  
It was June now, everyone had arrived  
Ben, Doug, Chad, Carlos, James, and Jay  
Jay: "I can't believe it"  
Carlos: "Me neither"  
Doug: "What?"  
Jay and Carlos: "That we are really here"  
Ben smiled: "It seems like yesterday you arrived"  
Amir arrived: "It's been 2 years"  
Then the doors opened and the girls made their entry  
James: "Holy..."  
Jay: "Crap"  
Ben nodded  
Azura arrived from behind: "Are they angels?"  
Chad: "Seems like it to me"  
Audrey was wearing a pink princess dress, a greek hairstyle, she was wearing a little more make up than usual and a pair of high heels  
Mary was wearing a black mermaid dress, a boat neckline, purple eyeshadow, mascara and lipgloss, and a pair of combat boots  
Jane was wearing a turquoise a-line long dress, her hair was curly and loose, she was wearing light blue eyeshadow, mascara, and light red lipgloss and a pair of blue ballet flats  
Margaret was wearing her auburn hair loose, she was wearing an off-shoulder chiffon long red dress, with a jewel neckline, mascara, and red lipstick, a pair of red sneakers  
Mal was wearing a purple and green high-waist long dress with a v neckline, her long purple hair was braided in a loose braid, she was wearing mascara, purple shadow, light pink lipstick, and a pair of purple sneakers  
Evie was wearing a blue high-waist empire dress, sweetheart neckline, a ponytail, gold eyeshadow, red lipstick, mascara, and a pair of blue stilettos  
Lonnie was wearing a hot pink and blue high-low dress, a scoop neckline, a pair of black ballet flats, mascara, and red lipstick, her hair was braided  
They saw their dates, smiled, and walked towards them  
Evie: "Hey guys" she looked at Azura "Hey Azura, you look beautiful in that blue tuxedo, and your hair!" she clapped once "I love it!"

Azura simply nodded and looked at Audrey: "You look stunning"  
Audrey smiled: "Thank you, you look very good yourself" she looked at the dance floor "Dance with me?"  
Azura grabbed her hand and they went dancing

Evie now turned to look at Doug: "Oh my, Doug. You look handsome"  
Doug blushed and couldn't say anything else  
Evie laughed, took his hand, and dragged him away

Jay smiled at his girlfriend: "Lonnie, you are breathtakingly beautiful"  
Lonnie chuckled, embarrassed: "Stop it" she looked at him "You are very handsome"  
They walked towards the dance floor

Mary didn't say anything, she simply took James's hand, she pulled him to herself and kissed him passionately, James responded, then silently they went somewhere more private

Carlos: "Jane... I mean... there are no words really"  
Jane rolled her eyes: "Come on, I love this song"  
They walked away

Margaret looked at Chad and with sign language told him **You look really really hot** and then winked  
Chad blushed and told her with sign language _You are the most beautiful woman I ever seen_

Then they left Mal and Ben alone  
Mal looked at the couple going away: "I have never seen Chad blushed. I think that I will write it on the calendar"  
Ben laughed: "Good idea"  
Mal looked at him: "King Benjamin, you look dashing"  
Ben blushed: "Mal, behave"  
Mal smirked: "Never"  
Ben: "In that case, you look really hot, Mal"  
Mal laughed and got closer to him: "I love you"  
Ben: "I love you too, my love"

* * *

Meanwhile  
Mal hadn't noticed but their friends weren't actually on the dance floor, they were near the stage  
Jane: "Everything is ready"  
Chad: "I can't wait to see Mal's face"  
Evie: "Me too"  
Jay: "Ok, let's go dance for real or Mal will start to get suspicious"  
Margaret raised an eyebrow and used sign language **I think she is kinda distracted right now**  
They looked over at what Margaret was pointing, the guys and Azura scoffed while the girls sighed  
Doug: "Come on"  
They were all dancing when Mal and Ben's song started playing  
Ben smiled at Mal: "I have to go"  
Mal frowned: "But.. it's our song"  
Ben kissed her cheek: "I know, I'll be back soon. Don't worry"  
Mal: "Ok, I'll wait for you here"  
Ben left and disappeared into the crowd  
Mal sighed and waited, then the music stopped, she looked around and saw that her friends were smiling at her and that the crowd had formed a circle around her, then a spotlight was pointed at her  
Mal: "What the heck?"  
Ben appeared out of nowhere on the stage, he smiled  
Ben: "Mal"  
Mal looked at him confused  
Ben: "I've loved you for so many years I didn't even notice, you are my best friend and I could never live without you... literally" he was getting emotional  
Mal started to understand what was going on: "No..."  
Ben: "You are my True Love, my soulmate. I feel like I have known you my whole life"  
Mal chuckled, her eyes started to get watery  
Ben: "My world, my life before you was black and white but once I met you that night.. I could see every color. Everything was different" he got off the stage and walked towards her  
Mal smiled at him, he arrived in front of her  
Ben: "You are my life, my family. I want to spend my life with you by my side"  
Mal whispered: "I want that too"  
Ben got on one knee: "Mal, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man alive and color my life forever?" he picked out of his pocket a black box and opened it, there was a golden ring with a little diamond "Mal, will you marry me?" at that moment Ben's voice cracked  
Mal started sobbing and nodded  
Ben smiled: "Yes?"  
Mal: "Yes, yes, yes"  
Ben sighed in relief and got up, he put the ring on her finger, they kissed  
Mal: "I love you so much"  
Ben: "I love you so much too"

* * *

 _The wedding day_  
Evie: "You look beautiful"  
Mal was wearing a princess white dress that had a long train, a boat neckline that showed the collarbones, the lace sleeves went from the shoulders down to the elbow the dress was decorated with purple, she was wearing white combat boots, cream eyeshadow, mascara, and red lipstick, her long curly hair was semi-tied up, two strands of hair from the side of her head were braided together to form a crown-like braid like the traditional hairstyle from the wedding on the Isle  
Mal smiled: "Thanks to you"  
Evie smiled  
Hours passed, Mal and Evie were ready so they got out of the room, Carlos and Jay were waiting for them  
Hades was also there and when he saw Mal he started crying  
Mal: "Hades, stop it right now or I'll cry too"  
Hades nodded  
Hades and Mal got on the carriage. Evie, Carlos, and Jay got in the car and followed the carriage. They arrived at the church, Mal looked at the stairs and took a deep breath, there were a lot of reporters  
Evie: "You look great"  
Mal nodded at her friend  
Carlos: "It's going to be perfect"  
Jay: "You got it"  
Hades: "Ok, let's go"  
Mal and Hades walked in front of the group, Evie, Carlos, and Jay walked right behind them, they entered the church and started walking towards the altar  
Hades gave Mal's hand to Ben who was smiling  
FG was officiating: "Ladies and Gentlemen, family and friends, we are here today to celebrate the union of our King Benjamin, the son of Adam and Belle, and Mal, the daughter of Hades and Maleficent" she looked at the couple "You guys are the strongest couple I know. Whenever a photo of you comes in a newspaper, you are looking at each other with so much love..." she smiled "You share True Love and a soulmate bond. I'm so happy to know you, and I'm so proud of what you accomplished. Now, your vows"  
Ben turned to look at Mal: "Lily Love, the day I met you I knew you were special, I had never met anyone like you and you conquered me. What can I say? You gave my life so much happiness... I can only hope to repay you with the same amount of happiness. I love you"  
Mal smiled: "Ben, before you, my life was hopeless, I sincerely couldn't see a good future for me... I thought that I was a monster, I didn't know what love was. You saved me in so many ways... You saved my life, my soul, my heart. You taught me how to love, how to laugh... how to forgive. I always felt complete even without you but when I met you... it was like discovering a completely different world and I uncovered new adventure and secrets. I love you so much, I hope our life together will keep surprising us... No, I know that it will because with you my days are always a happy surprise"  
FG sobbed a little: "Ok now. Benjamin, do you take thee Mal as your wife?"  
Ben: "I do"  
FG: "Mal, do you want to take Benjamin as your husband?"  
Mal: "I do"  
FG: "Well now, you are husband and wife, Ben you may kiss your bride"  
Ben smiled and kissed Mal, the crowd started clapping  
Belle, Adam, Evie, Carlos, Grimhilde, Jafar, Jay, and Hades started crying  
FG: "Now, shall we proceed with the coronation?"  
Mal and Ben nodded  
Belle and Adam went to stand near FG, Ben took a step back, Belle took her crown off her head  
Mal kneeled in front of them  
FG: "Mal, daughter of Hades and Maleficent, born on the Isle, bride of King Benjamin, powerful and kind, do you solemnly swear to be a good Queen, and do everything in your power to help the reign flourish?"  
Mal looked up and smiled, her eyes glowed a little, that was a magic vow: "I do solemnly swear"  
FG smiled: "I declare you the second Queen of Auradon, the first Fairy Queen. People, here is Queen Mal!"  
Belle put the crown on Mal's head, the crown and Mal's eyes glowed for a second, then Mal got up and turned towards the crown and smiled  
Ben smiled and went to stand by her side, he looked at her, she turned towards him and they kissed  
The couple had 3 kids: Kimber Lynn, Beck Alexandre, Daisy Eileen

* * *

Evie was nervous  
Mal rolled her eyes: "E, calm down"  
Evie: "I can't!"  
Jane laughed  
Grimhilde: "Honey, everything is going to be perfect! It's your day!"  
Mal and Jane nodded, in that moment Jay and Carlos entered  
Jay: "Woah Blue"  
Carlos: "You look amazing"  
Evie smiled at them, she was wearing a princess dress, no sleeves, it was lace-covered on the corset, it didn't have a train, it had blue and gold decorations, light make up, mascara and red lipstick, and a pair of high heels, her hair was semi-tied, two strands of hair by the side of her head were braided to form a crown braid  
Jafar entered: "Baby, we have to go"  
Jafar, Grimhilde, and Evie got on the carriage, Mal, Jay, and Carlos got in the car and followed them  
They arrived at the church, entered, and started walking towards the altar  
Jafar gave Evie's hand to Doug  
The ceremony started, Ben was officiating  
Ben: "Now, your vows"  
Doug: "Evie, I love you. You know I'm not great at this, but I want to try" he took a deep breath "You are the love of my life, you are a kind, smart, gentle, selfless, brave, and beautiful soul. A lot of people that don't know you may think that you are beautiful just from the outside but they are terribly wrong. They don't know what they are missing. You are one of a kind, and I'm so thankful to have even met you. With you, I'm not afraid of anything. Your life hasn't been easy at all, but you found a way to smile and laugh... making this a better world. I love you, and I hope to be a good husband to you, I will promise you this. With me, you can be yourself, no need to hide. I will always love you and accept you"  
By the end of it, Evie and Doug were crying  
Evie: "Doug, before you I thought love would be difficult for me to get, on the Isle love was almost impossible and when I found out that we would get to live here, I thought I could have a possibility. And I was right, you were ready to love me, to accept me for who I was, no prejudice, no rush to know me. You were and are my Prince in shining armor. I love you and I promise you I always love you and accept you"  
Ben: "Doug, do you take thee Evie as your wife?"  
Doug: "I do"  
Ben: "Evie, do you take Doug as your husband?"  
Evie: "I do"  
Everyone started clapping, Jafar, Grimhilde, Jay, Doug's family started crying and smiling an clapping  
The couple had 2 kids on their own: Genevieve Rose and Dylan Andrew, and then they adopted 2 kids: Keira Lucy and Kimberly Alba

* * *

Audrey and Azura got married, the first couple of Queens, Mal was the officiator, and there were a lot of laughs during the ceremony  
Azura was wearing a white and blue jumpsuit wedding dress, her hair was braided, just mascara and cream eyeshadow, a pair of high heels  
Audrey was wearing a white princess dress with pink decorations, a pair of high heels, her hair semi-tied up, two strands of her hair from the side of her head tied in a loose bun, light pink eyeshadow, mascara, light pink lipgloss  
Mal: "Azura, are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with my favorite niece Audrey Sleeping Princess?"  
Azura smiled: "I do"  
Mal: "Good luck with that"  
Everyone laughed  
Audrey rolled her eyes: "Shut up"  
Mal: "Hey, I'm the officiator, show some respect woman" she sighed "The audacity of the youth"  
Ben that was behind her: "Mal, please"  
Mal: "Audrey, are you completely sure you want to spend the rest of your life with this kind and funny soul that is Azura?"  
Audrey smiled: "I do"  
Mal: "In that case, I pronounce you wife and wife, Queen and Queen. Good luck and be happy!"  
The crowd clapped and Azura and Audrey shared their first kiss as wife and wife  
They adopted two kids: Zayn Matt and Zaira Kim, they were twins

* * *

Carlos and Jane's wedding was very different, they wanted a simple wedding so they invited just their family and friends, no reporters could get any photo of the ceremony  
Carlos was wearing a simple tuxedo with black sneakers  
Jane was wearing a mermaid dress, ballet flats, her hair was loose and she was wearing a tiara  
They got married in the Moors, Mal was officiating again  
The human part of the guests was just outside the limit  
Mal: "Fairies, magic users, creatures of the day and the night, humans, we are here to celebrate the union of Fairy Jane and the clown that is my twin"  
Carlos: "Hey, remember that I'm older then you"  
Mal looked at him: "3 minutes Carlos. 3 minutes" she took a deep breath. "The audacity, Fairy Jane I'm so sorry"  
Carlos rolled his eyes  
Mal: "Anyhow, Fairy Jane are you sure you want to marry this clown here and take him as your husband?"  
Jane smiled: "I do want to marry this clown"  
Mal: "Good luck. You, Carlos, the clown of the Isle, you sure to be able to be a good husband to our favorite Fairy Jane? Do you promise to love her till the last day of your life?"  
Carlos smiled: "I do promise to love her till the last day of my life"  
Mal nodded: "With the power given me by me I now pronounce you clown husband and fairy wife"  
Carlos and Jane kissed and the crowd started clapping  
The couple had 2 kids: Mary Ann and Marylin Darcy

* * *

Jay and Lonnie got married in the forest, just friends and family  
Jay was wearing a simple tuxedo and Lonnie was wearing a white jumpsuit wedding dress, a pair of white boots, her hair was tied up in a ponytail, simple wake up just mascara and eyeliner  
Carlos was officiating this time  
In this case, too, reporters weren't able to get photos of the ceremony  
Carlos: "Lonnie, do you take thee Jay as your husband?"  
Lonnie: "I do"  
Carlos: "Jay, are you ready to spend the rest of your life as Lonnie's husband?"  
Jay: "I do"  
The couple had 2 kids: Michael Lee and Jaclyn Min

* * *

Chad and Margaret's wedding was the most romantic  
The ceremony took place at the beach, Chad was wearing a white tuxedo  
Margaret was wearing a white floral embroidered ballgown romantic at the top, party at the bottom, ivory lace over cashmere lining and a v neckline bodice with an asymmetrical drop-waist detail and a textured tiered tulle skirt, her hair was curly and loose, mascara and red lipstick  
Officiated by Ben, the ceremony was simple  
There were reporters  
Ben used sign language and said: "Margaret, do you take thee Chad Charming as your husband?"  
Margaret used sign language: "I do"  
Ben: "Chad Charming, do you take thee Margaret as your wife?"  
Chad: "I do"  
Ben: "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss"  
The couple kissed, they had 3 kids: Anne Valerie, Carly Lana, Nicholas Robert

* * *

James and Mary got married too, James was wearing a blue tuxedo  
Mary was wearing a white fairytale wedding dress, a scoop neckline, a pair of white sneakers, cream eyeshadow, black eyeliner, mascara, red lipgloss  
Mal officiated the wedding  
Mal: "James, do you want to take thee Mary as your wife and promise to love her forever?"  
James: "Forever seems way too long"  
Mary chuckled  
Mal: "Oh, you are right. James, do you want to take thee Mary as your wife and promise to her for the rest of your life?"  
James: "I do"  
Mal: "Mary, do you want to take James as your husband for the rest of his life?"  
James: "Hey!"  
Mary: "I do"  
James rolled his eyes  
Mal: "With the power given me by the law, I pronounce you wife and husband, good luck James"  
The couple had 1 kid on their own: Nathan Edward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy there  
> It's the last time I write (maybe not) I can't believe it  
> So, I did a lot of research on dresses, here in Italy we don't do Prom or anything like that... so yeah...  
> And yeah Chad blushed and Hades cries...  
> I hope you like Margaret... maybe I'll write more about her... who knows?  
> This story was very important to me, I always wondered whether I would be able to write something that people would enjoy (or even just read)  
> So the story ended, but I wanted to know if you wanted to know more about my characters or if you would like to have some one-shots  
> If you have a particular request about something you want to read, please leave a comment   
> Love,  
> Elisa

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my name is Elisa, this is my first story  
> I hope someone will read it and like it  
> English isn't my first language so I apologize for eventual mistakes (I'm Italian)  
> I'm obsessed with Descendants and I had this idea in my head for a while.. so I wrote it


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